Fall!【4500】

Wenjiu three years (1863), August 18, night——

The southern suburbs of Kyoto, the position of the Choshu Army——

"Quick! Move quickly! Don't wait too long!"

"You haven't eaten? Try harder!"

"Hey! I made a few more shovels!"

"Listen to my command! One, two, three, pull! Come again! One, two, three, pull!"

"Aizu's cavalry is very powerful. We must build a barrier and a fence before dawn!"

…

Looking up, the Changzhou Army's position was bustling with activity.

Even though the engraved sky was shrouded in darkness, they still carried torches, set up oil lamps, and worked tirelessly to build their positions.

In addition to the sound of shoveling earth, the "construction site" will also hear passionate shouts from time to time:

"Down with the traitors and thieves!"

Whenever this burst of shouting comes out, there will be a howling like a wolf, with echoes of "ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooongs".

In the eyes of the soldiers of the Changzhou Army, the secret alliance of the Huisa Allied Forces and the rapid blockade of the Imperial Palace were truly a shameless sneak attack!

Such behavior naturally made them furious.

There is no way His Majesty the Emperor could exclude Choshu! It must have been Aizu and Satsuma who coerced His Majesty the Emperor and forced him to issue a statement "Expelling Choshu" - most of the soldiers in the Choshu Army firmly believed this out of wishful thinking.

In fact, only a handful of high-level people know the truth.

Due to the lack of effective channels for obtaining information and their own limited vision, the vast majority of the people in the Choshu Domain were kept in the dark.

They didn't know... Aizu and Satsuma did not hold the emperor hostage. The Chenhan announced by the emperor today was the true voice he had not made for a long time!

Changzhou, who always talks about the slogan "respect the king and repel the barbarians", is the force that least respects the king!

It's both ironic and funny.

If all the people of Choshu knew the truth, I am afraid that an extremely powerful earthquake would erupt in the Choshu domain.

However, today, the soldiers of the Choshu Army always firmly believe that they are the righteous and vow to defeat the Huisa Allied Forces! Save the Emperor!

In order to vent their hatred, they called Aizu "the traitor" and Satsuma "the traitor".

Relying on this high-spirited and unyielding momentum, the defensive fortifications such as horses, fences, and trenches in the position were built at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Kusaka Genrui, wearing a helmet and whipping armor, held the saber at his waist and inspected the position.

Katsura Kogoro followed closely behind him.

The two of them said nothing...an unspeakable dull atmosphere lingered around them.

After falling out with Hisasaka Genzui, Takasugi Shinsaku returned to Choshu in a fit of temper and lived a semi-reclusive life.

Katsura Kogoro has always been the "lubricant" for both of them.

Although he and Takasugi Shinsaku were in the same camp, they couldn't trust Kusaka Genzui, so they always stayed by his side.

The "Three Heroes of Changzhou" who were from the same school and once talked about everything, unexpectedly met such an ending... It is really sad.

"...Kusaka-kun, do we really have to pin our hopes of victory on that unknown Tenchu ​​team?"

Katsura Kogoro asked abruptly.

Kusaka Genrui was silent for a while, and then sighed silently.

"Otherwise, we have no other choice."

"As much as I don't want to admit it... but with our own strength alone, against the Huisa Allied Forces with full strength and high morale, the chance of winning is really not high."

The Aizu Army has a world-famous cavalry unit.

The Satsuma Army has an organized firearms unit.

Especially the latter cannot be underestimated.

The drastic reforms of the former Satsuma feudal lord Shimazu Nobita gave the Satsuma clan the highest industrial capabilities in Japan, with the ability to independently manufacture guns and warships.

His strength is so powerful that even Hisasaka Genrui, who has always advocated "spiritual theory", has to treat it with caution.

Hisaka Genrui’s words continued:

"Based on the currently known information, the Tenchu ​​Group is undoubtedly our ally."

"His Majesty has declared them rebels."

"If they don't try to save themselves, they will definitely die."

"As long as they have any brains, they can't help but think that their only way to survive right now is to give it a try, go straight to Kyoto, and recapture the Imperial Palace and the Emperor!"

"Therefore, after they learn about the situation in Kyoto, they will definitely send troops north immediately."

"If we can join forces with them, we will have a chance to defeat the Huisa coalition forces!"

As soon as Gensui Kusaka finished speaking, Kogoro Katsura refuted coldly:

"Kusaka-kun, with all due respect, your plan sounds wonderful at first glance, but in order for it to be realized, there is a major prerequisite - the Tenchu ​​group can independently defeat the Shinsengumi who has gone south!"

A simple sentence silenced Kusaka Genrui, who was still eloquent just now.

Taking advantage of this moment, Katsura Kogoro put on a serious and dignified tone:

"Kusaka-kun, don't blame me for being rude - I think... no, I'm sure that the Tenchu ​​group is no match for the Shinsengumi!"

"The Shinsengumi is no longer a weak force with only a few soldiers... In other words, they were not a weak force from the beginning."

"Today's Shinsengumi has a total strength of over three thousand."

"Except for not being equipped with firearms, they have all the necessary equipment such as chainmail, arm armor, leg armor, knives, and spears."

"Moreover, they also have a lot of cavalry."

"Even if the Tianzhu group gathers a large number of troops in a short period of time, they are nothing but scattered sand."

"Although most of the current members of the Shinsengumi are newly recruited, they have been training for a period of time, and they are definitely not comparable to a ragtag group of people who have no other strengths except their momentum."

"What's more... the general of the Shinsengumi is still Tachibana Aoden."

"Leaving aside Tachibana Aoden, the most important thing the Shinsengumi lacks is strong generals."

"Okita Souji, Kondo Isamu, Hijikata Toshizo, Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Ichi... just pick one, they are all ruthless characters who can defeat a thousand people."

Speaking of this, Katsura Kogoro paused.

After hesitating for a moment, he tentatively proposed to the other party:

"Kusaka-kun... withdraw your troops."

"Withdraw to Changzhou and plan for the long term!"

"Instead of fighting such a war with little chance of winning, it is better to simply retreat and preserve the fire for future counterattacks."

"Don't waste the life of a Changzhou man in a place like this."

"I am willing to personally lead an army to serve as the rear guard for the whole army..."

Before Katsura Kogoro could finish his words, Kusaka Genrui yelled:

"no!!"

His eyes were wide open, the corners of his eyes seemed to be torn apart, and there were bloodshot eyes in the whites, like a gambler who lost his money.

"Gui, don't come and tell me what to do!"

"Even without you having to tell me, I know that the Shinsengumi's strength is far superior to the Tenchu's!"

"But...but...this is our only hope!"

"Instead of running away in a hurry, it is better to fight until the last moment!!"

"Gui, have you ever thought about how much effort it will take to get back here if we just run away?"

"So, when will our dream come true?!"

After roaring, Kusaka Genrui gasped and gasped.

The noise they made attracted the attention of the surrounding soldiers who were working hard on the construction.

After discovering that it was Genrui Kusaka and Kogoro Katsura who were quarreling, they immediately withdrew their gaze and continued to focus on the work at hand, not daring to look or listen more.

The "Three Heroes of Choshu" enjoy a prestige within the Choshu domain that is unmatched by others.

No one dared to inquire about their "internal fighting", let alone intervene in it without authorization.

After taking a deep breath, Kusaka Genrui slowly lowered his face and said in a deep voice:

"Since the strength of the Tenchu ​​team is slightly inferior... then we will send reinforcements!"

"Select 100... no, 200 martial arts masters with great strength to form a support team and go to support the Tenchu ​​team!"

"Also...send Kawagami Hikosai there too!"

After hearing this, Katsura Kogoro suddenly showed a surprised expression.

"Yan Zhai? Are you going to send Yan Zhai?"

Kusaka Xuanrui nodded:

"Yan Zhai's swordsmanship...especially his sword-drawing skills have reached such an advanced level that one person can defeat a thousand men."

"In this way, after receiving the support from Yan Zhai and others, the strength of the Tenchu ​​Group will definitely increase greatly."
To be continued...