Immediately afterwards, three Changzhou sergeants in light uniforms pushed through the bushes, walked out, and met Qingdeng and others head-on.

Looking at Qingdeng and his party, the faces of these three people suddenly changed color, and they asked in a sharp voice:

"Who are you?"

They were probably patrollers of the Changzhou Army.

In order to hide their whereabouts, Qingnobo and others did not wear the iconic light green haori, but wore inconspicuous casual clothes.

For this reason, the three patrolmen did not notice the identities of Qingdeng and others for a while.

However, they had already instinctively sensed that the person coming was evil, and subconsciously reached out for the saber at their waists, preparing to sound a warning.

To be fair, their response speed is already fast enough.

It's a pity...the opponents they encountered were the captains of the 1st and 3rd teams of the Shinsengumi!

Although there was no prior agreement, Souji and Saitoichi galloped away in unison!

While the two men drove their horses to attack, they took advantage of the situation and pulled out the sabers at their waists.

Two knives drew shining lights in mid-air.

Saito killed one.

Souji beheaded the other two.

The three patrolmen were killed on the spot before they could even scream.

Before he could relax, more and denser rustling sounds came from another direction.

At the same time, there were also conversations coming together:

"What's wrong?"

"There seems to be a strange sound over there!"

"Let's go! Go and have a look!"

Apparently, they should be patrolmen of the Changzhou Army.

Qingdeng didn't even look at the enemy soldiers who were about to kill him, and asked without looking back:

"How many people came?"

The director-general replied calmly:

"5... no, 6 people."

Qingdeng's calm tone remained unchanged, and then asked:

"Is it okay?"

Saitoichi, who was usually taciturn and rarely showed his expression in front of others, at this moment rarely raised the corner of his mouth and said softly:

"No need to worry about it."

After hearing the affirmative answer, Qingdeng stopped asking any more questions and continued to use his telescope to observe the enemy formation in front of him.

Souji and Saito handed the reins to their left hands, held the sword in one hand with their right hand, tapped the horse's belly with their heels, and slowly walked towards the enemy soldiers...

Within a moment, handfuls after handfuls of blood spurted out from Qingdeng's back like a hot spring.

Blood flowed all over the ground, but not even a drop touched Qingden.

Qingdeng stood tall in the rain of blood, observing the enemy formation with all his concentration, not even moving his eyebrows, and was not moved by it at all.

…

…

It's night——

When the sky was slightly dark, Qingden returned to camp safely and unscathed - this made Shannan Jingji breathe a sigh of relief.

As soon as Ayoto returned to camp, he received shocking news - the Edo envoy was visiting!

Ever since he learned about Noo's change and the emergency in Kanto, Ayoto had been paying close attention to the news in Edo, worrying about the safety of Tenzouin's mother and son.

In this era where information transmission relies entirely on the two legs of a human and the four hooves of a horse, Qingdeng has no choice but to wait patiently.

Finally, the long-awaited envoy from Edo arrived. He summoned him immediately without even having time to change his clothes, and couldn't wait to inquire about the current situation in Edo.

He didn't bother asking, but when asked, his expression was immediately dominated by strong shock.

"What?! Iemoji... Dajugong and His Highness Tianzhangin didn't leave Edo Castle?!"

Because he was too surprised, he stood up uncontrollably and directly knocked away the horse under his butt.

The messenger was startled, but he still swallowed, pretended to be calm, and said seriously:

"Yes, yes! Lord Dashu and His Highness Tianzhangin have declared to the outside world that they 'swear to live and die with Edo'! No matter how the ministers persuade them, they are unwilling to leave!"

…

…

A few days ago——

Edo, Edo Castle——

Just two days after the fall of Nagoya Castle, news of the "Choshu Army's surprise cross-sea attack on Noo" reached Edo Castle.

It didn't take long for the emperors and ministers of Edo Castle to learn that the Choshu Army had abandoned Nagoya Castle, mobilized all their troops, and headed east!

In order to avoid panic, Edo Castle implemented the strictest information blockade and strictly prohibited relevant information from leaking to the public.

Everyone knows that this is just a stop-gap measure. In a few days, all the people of Edo will know that the Choshu Army will arrive at Edo Castle soon.

Before the situation got out of control, Tokugawa Iemo summoned his ministers to discuss countermeasures.

Edo Castle, Ohiroma——

Tokugawa Iemo sat on the main seat with a sinking face.

The ministers, led by the veteran Makino Tadayasu, sat under him.

As soon as the meeting started, the place was as noisy as a vegetable market.

"This, what should we do?!"

"We have no choice but to mobilize! Mobilize the 80,000 flag horsemen immediately!"

"Hatamoto's 80,000 cavalry? What are you talking about in your sleep now? Don't you know how much fighting power you have left from your 80,000 Hatamoto cavalry?"

"If that's the case, then run away...Ah, no, retreat! Evacuate to Ou first, and then we can make a long-term plan!"

"Retreat? If the majestic shogunate abandons Edo without firing a shot, what will all the vassals and thousands of people in the world think of us? Our reputation will be disgraced!"

"We don't have enough combat power to stop the Changzhou Army now!"

…

Looking at the chaotic meeting scene, Tokugawa Iemo said coldly:

"quiet."

His voice was instantly drowned by the sea of ​​sound.

"Why don't you be quiet!"

The violent shouting that followed swept the whole place like a storm.

Suddenly, the scene returned to silence.

Everyone was lying on the ground, as silent as a cicada, not daring to say another word.

After forbidding his ministers to speak, Tokugawa Iemo turned his head and looked at someone sitting in the front row, very close to him:

"Shengjun, I want to hear your opinion."

The Katsu-kun he refers to naturally refers to the president of the Navy, Katsu Rintaro.

If there is anyone among the ministers here who is proficient in military affairs... then it is only Katsurin Taro!

Seeing Tokugawa Iemo mention Katsu Rintaro's name, most people at the scene turned to him for help and looked expectantly - many of them hated him and frequently criticized him.

If there is a loss in Edo, not one of the ministers present will gain anything.

Even if they were able to escape, they would not be able to move away all the belongings in their house and would only be able to take advantage of the enemy.

In this way, they can't help but treat Katsurin Taro with a "clutching at straws" mentality.

From the beginning of the meeting, Katsurin Taro crossed his arms, said nothing, and seemed to be deep in thought.

Even though Tokugawa Iemo was named, he did not speak immediately.

It wasn't until about 5 seconds later that he sighed heavily:

"Lord, although I don't want to admit it, but...since the enemy has the ability to easily capture Nagoya Castle, it is impossible to defeat the enemy with the current combat power of Edo."

"but--"

Before anyone could show their disappointment and despair, he suddenly changed the subject.
To be continued...