The weather is very good today.
The rising sun rises in the east, and thousands of rays of light stream out from the peaks of the distant mountains.
The golden-red dawn unveiled the last black veil of the night, dyeing the sky red and illuminating the earth.
The red clouds in the sky to the east are brilliant, with soft clouds scattered among them. Under the blue sky, on the vast temple land, the soldiers of the Shinsengumi are not neatly formed, but they are not out of order.
square array.
Deputy Chief Hijikata Toshizo, Director Isamu Kondo, Chief Keisuke Yamanan, and Staff Officer Hachiro Kiyokawa—the four of them stood at the forefront of the phalanx.
Immediately following are the 10 captains of the Ba Dao Team, who are lined up in order from 1 to 10.
"Haah...it's so cold..."
The Souji put his hands to his lips and took a breath, and the puff of air covered her pretty face.
Nagakura Shinpachi turned around and looked at Souji who had just returned from Aomori:
"Okita-kun, how's it going with Mr. Tachibana?"
The Director-General replied:
"He just put on his armor. That armor suits him very well. It's very powerful!"
"Is he nervous?"
"Nagakura-kun, for Tachibana-kun, today's mobilization ceremony is just a trivial scene. How could he be nervous?"
Nagakura Shinpachi laughed dumbly.
"Yeah, that's true."
"After all, Mr. Tachibana worked his way up from the bottom one step at a time."
"I have caught thieves, fought in battles, and even sat high in the temple."
"For him, such a scene is really not worth mentioning."
Speaking of this, Nagakura Shinpachi let out a long breath, with an expression filled with emotion.
"It's funny to say that I am the one who feels very nervous right now..."
"I didn't expect that I, a low-level warrior who came from a remote village, would one day be able to stand upright with a sword."
Nagakura Shinpachi was born in the Matsumae Domain.
The Matsumae Domain is located on the Oshima Island of Ezo (modern-day Hokkaido), bordering the territory of Ezo (modern-day Ainu).
In the world view of the people of the Edo period, the Ou region north of Kanto was a desolate and barren mountainous area - and in fact, this was indeed the case.
Because of its high latitude, the climate conditions in the Ou area are far from ideal.
In addition, its topography is also mediocre. It is a veritable mountain country with few plains and very little arable land.
There is no fertile land and no good harbor. The only thing worthy of praise is the geothermal resources - hot springs.
Even the Ou area is like this, let alone the Matsumae Clan, which is further north and even separated by the Tsugaru Strait.
The Matsumae Domain in the eyes of the Japanese is similar to the Great Wall in the eyes of the Chinese - a bitter cold place within a bitter cold place.
"Hahaha, Nagakura-kun, if you are nervous...I won't give in too much."
Souji raised her right arm and showed her palm to Nagakura Shinpachi - it was trembling slightly.
"This is the first time for me to stand in a venue where everyone is watching... I feel so nervous..."
As she spoke, she turned her eyes and scanned her surroundings.
The Shinsengumi's expedition ceremony - how could the people of Edo, who had nothing to do but were depressed due to the turmoil of the current situation, not come to join in the fun and have some fun?
The chirping voices and the tinny footsteps can be heard all the time.
Because in a while, the top officials of the shogunate headed by Tokugawa Iemo and Tenjoin Atsuhime will come here.
Therefore, in order to ensure the safety of the venue, the people who came to watch were isolated to far away places.
Even though the commander-in-chief has excellent eyesight, he can only see rows of moving heads in the distance.
"Huh, it's just child's play."
Abruptly, Captain Serizawa Kamo, the captain of the Fourth Squadron, took out the iron fan he carried around his waist, and while using the fan as a hammer, he beat his shoulders and continued:
"This army is simply child's play."
He squinted his eyes and looked at Isamu Kondo and Toshizo Hijikata standing in front of him, his eyes full of disdain.
“A ‘original farmer’ and a ‘current farmer’.”
He turned his head and glanced contemptuously at Sanako and Kinoshita Mai on the left.
"There are two women... Huh! How can such an army fight with an army of peasants and women? It's ridiculous, it's really ridiculous."
He did not lower his voice specially, but expressed his "high opinions" at a normal volume.
Because Kondo Isamu and others were standing very close to the front, they did not hear Serizawa Kamo's words.
Fortunately, Hijikata Suisan didn't hear it.
With his "wicked boy of thorns" bad temper, if he hears someone say such rude words, he will definitely come to him to settle the score.
However, it would not be a big deal even if Toshizo Hijikata didn't hear it.
Because someone has already come to help him find his place.
"Hey, kid, speak more clearly, or I'll kill you."
Having said that, Saito Ichi - because he is the captain of the third team, so he is standing on the right hand side of Serizawa Kame - moves half a step to the right, leaving enough space to create the most suitable distance for fighting, and then reaches out to hold his right hand.
Ikeda Kijinmaru Kunishige who lives in Sheshu around the waist.
Among the newly selected members, Saito Kazuo has the richest life experience.
To put it in modern terms... Saito Kazuchi is the person with the most social experience in the Shinsengumi, besides Aoto and Hijikata Tozo.
He rarely talks about his past to outsiders.
But since he was 16 years old... or earlier, he came out to join the society and earned money by working as a bodyguard, as well as his sharp knife skills when killing people... it is conceivable that he
He used to be such a hard-core ruthless person.
Rich experience, a taciturn and indifferent expression, and a capable style that can kill with one sword but never swing a second sword... This cold appearance often makes people forget: he is one of the youngest people in the Shinseng group.
, he is only 19 years old this year.
Faced with Saitoichi's verbal warning and sharp gaze, Serizawa Kamo showed no fear.
He turned sideways and faced Saito Ichi directly. He continued to hold the iron fan in his left hand and raised his right hand to press the knife.
"Ah? Come here, Yakuza."
Click - Saito drew the knife without hesitation.
Just when he pulled out the tenon of the knife, a strong hand came out from the slant and held down his left wrist holding the knife.
At the same time, the captain of the fifth division, Niimi Nishiki, also stretched out his hand to restrain Serizawa Kamo.
"Saito-kun, Mr. Tachibana, Mr. Dashu is coming soon, put your sword away quickly."
Nagakura Shinpachi said solemnly.
"Brother Serizawa, calm down. Fighting in this situation is no joke."
On the other side, Niimi Nishiki was also comforting Serizawa Kamo.
Captain of the Sixth Squadron, Genzaburo Inoue, noticed the movement here and hurriedly said:
"Oh, don't quarrel."
"..."
Saitoichi was silent for a moment, and then - with a click - he put the knife back into its sheath.
Immediately afterwards, Serizawa Kamo also lowered his hand holding the knife.
Although it is not possible to carry out "physical criticism" here and now, it is not a problem to treat others with their own methods.
When it comes to verbal warfare, the Chief Secretary is not inferior to anyone else.
She clasped her hands behind her back and sneered, "Humph."
"You obviously look down on farmers and women, but your current status is no higher than them - you are not even as good as those two farmers, and you don't know who the person should be ashamed of?"
Hearing this, Serizawa Kamo immediately widened his eyes and glared at the Souji.
However, the other party didn't take him seriously at all. He didn't even look at him and continued to look straight ahead.
"What? Are you not convinced? If you are not convinced, just draw the sword. I can knock you down in five rounds for a guy like you. Do you want to give it a try?"
As soon as Souji finished speaking, before Serizawa Kamo had time to react, Shinami Shinami grabbed his shoulder tightly.
He didn't say much, just whispered in a sincere tone:
"Brother Serizawa..."
Serizawa turned his head sideways and looked into Shinami Shinami's eyes.
"..."
After a while, he calmly looked away, turned his body back to the front without saying a word, and did not break out any further conflict with the General Secretary and others.
Seeing that the other party took the initiative to give in, the General Director and others, who were unwilling to let the dispute escalate, also gave up.
A sudden storm subsided.
Since just now, Sanako, the captain of the seventh division, has been paying attention to the situation here.
Seeing that the storm had subsided, she straightened her head and continued to be an angel that was incompatible with the environment she was currently in.
Among a group of rough men, the graceful Sanako stands out particularly.
In such a serious environment of war, it is definitely inappropriate to wear a women's kimono that can only take small steps.
The Edo period was an era of strict etiquette, and it was common for men to dress up as women. For example, all kabuki actors were male, and the female characters in the plays were all dressed up as women.
It's okay for a man to pretend to be a woman, but it's absolutely not okay for a woman to pretend to be a man.
Neither women's kimonos nor men's clothes can be worn...the only clothes Sanako and Kinoshita Mai can wear are kendo uniforms.
Strangely enough, Sanako was the only person in the room—except Hijikata Toshizo—who had the air of a general.
She held her head high, looked straight away, her expression was neither humble nor overbearing, and she made no unnecessary movements. Her high-tied ponytail fluttered in the wind. Looking from a distance, she seemed not angry but confident.
On the other hand, other people... although they cannot be said to be the best, their movements reveal an aura of unconfidence and shrinking.
However, we can't blame them.
It would be too difficult to ask the middle- and lower-level samurai who until recently were a bunch of unknown people to grow into majestic heroes in a short period of time.
If the fairy in blue is the most celebrity-like among all the people, then the girl in red can be said to have gone to another extreme.
As the only two women in the Shinsengumi (seemingly the only two), their current performance can be said to be one of a kind.
At this moment and here, even people with normal social skills like Souji and Nagakura Shinpachi can't help but feel nervous. So it's not difficult to imagine the performance of Mai Kinoshita who is afraid of society...
As expected, she tightened her shoulders, lowered her head, and looked at her nose and heart, her face was bloodless, and her eyes were unfocused.
Anyone who looks at it can tell at a glance: this girl is very nervous now.
On her left is Captain Sanosuke Harada of the 10th Division, and on her right is Heisuke Toudo, Captain of the 8th Division... both are people she is not familiar with at all!
Kinoshita Mai has never been more hopeful than at this moment that Sanako can stand beside her.
Even though they were very difficult to deal with, at least she didn't feel nervous or afraid when facing Sanako.
She was surrounded by people she didn't know. If she hadn't clenched her hands hard and concentrated all her strength and attention on her palms, she would have probably trembled.
Don't look at me, don't pay attention to me, I want to shrink, I want to shrink - Kinoshita Mai's posture carries this message.
People who don't know about it may never imagine that such a girl is actually the captain of the Shinsengumi 9th Division on the same level as Souji, Sanako and others.
Judging from the appearance alone, this is a little girl who seems to have lost her parents and is lost.
The captains of the Ba Dao Team were having a great time - the officers standing in front of them were also making concessions.
"Ah... I feel so full... If I had known better, I wouldn't have eaten so much."
Isamu Kondo caressed his swollen belly.
"What did you have for breakfast?"
Hijikata Toshizo asked casually.
Kondo Isamu patted his majestic chest and grinned:
"I ate 'Katsu chestnut' and 'Kombu' before going out."
Eating winning chestnuts and kelp is a Japanese folk custom, which is a homophony of "victory" and "joy" to seek good omens.
"This kind of behavior is just to seek comfort and is meaningless."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hijikata Toshizo paused for a moment, then smiled slightly.
"If you think about it carefully, I don't seem to be in a position to criticize you. Just a few days ago, I had sex with my brother-in-law and sister."
Drinking a glass of water is also a Japanese folk custom to express farewell.
"Ah Sui, you don't have to be like this..."
Isamu Kondo burst into laughter.
"It's not like we'll never come back."
"Huh, that's hard to say."
As he said that, Toshizo Hijikata put his hands on Izumi Mamoru Kanesada on his waist.
Logically speaking, Hijikata Toshizo, who was just a farmer, was not qualified to carry a sword.
However, because today's Japan has already fallen into the dilemma of broken etiquette and music, no one cares about these red tapes.
"A Sheng, we are not going on a trip, but we are going to fight."
"Maybe in half a year, three months... or maybe the day after we arrive in Kyoto, we will have to urgently join the fierce battle."
"Be mentally prepared to be wrapped in horse leather - this is my advice to you."
After hearing this, Kondo Isamu shrugged.
"Ah Sui, I won't bother you with this. Even without your detailed explanation, I know that this trip to Kyoto will be full of dangers."
"but--"
He suddenly changed the subject.
"I will definitely survive and achieve great success!"
His words were full of high self-confidence.
On the other side, Qinghe Hachilang talked to Shannan Jingsuke with great enthusiasm.
"Shannan-kun, long time no see!"
Shannan Jingshu responded politely:
"Qinghe Hachiro, long time no see."
The two teachers came from the same sect, and both were disciples of Beichen Yida Ryu.
The difference is that Qinghe Hachiro studied at Xuanwu Hall, while Shannan Keisuke studied at Xiaochiba Sword Hall.
Although their home schools are different, because the two sword schools are closely related "brotherly schools" and they often communicate with each other on weekdays, Shannan Keisuke and Qinghe Hachiro have known each other for a long time, but they are not very familiar with each other.
"Shannan-kun, from now on, we will be partners working together!"
Qinghe Hachiro had a hearty, unpretentious smile on his face.
"A long time ago, Shannan-kun's reputation as a 'all-rounder in both civil and military affairs' has been widely spread among our Xuanwu Temple and Xiao Qianye Sword Hall."
"With your talent, the Shinsengumi will surely prosper!"
Shannan Jingsuke smiled reservedly:
"Mr. Qinghe, you're too generous. I don't have that much ability."
"Shannan-kun, you are so humble!"
Qinghe Hachiro's initiative and positivity did not lead to Shannan Keisuke's enthusiasm. He behaved very coldly throughout the whole process.
However, Qinghe Hachiro did not take this seriously and continued to talk and get closer to himself.
…
…
time flies.
When the sun in the sky rose a little higher and the light became more intense, a dozen people with helmets and armors and fully armed banners lined up in two rows and marched majestically into the arena, neatly arranged in rows.
Both sides of the venue.
At this time, everyone knew that the mobilization ceremony was about to begin, and they suddenly became nervous.
There was silence inside and outside the temple, except for flags of various sizes, rolling in the autumn wind, making hunting sounds.
Click, click, click, click, click...
The sound of the collision of nail plates comes from far to near.
A general wearing blue-white full armor, cloud-white feathers, a spade-shaped helmet on his head, and three swords on his waist walked slowly and slowly from the back of the venue into everyone's sight.
For a time, from the Shinsengumi queue inside the venue to the onlookers outside the venue, all kinds of eyes - admiration, envy, love, jealousy - fell on Qingto one by one.
At a time when everyone in the Western world has begun to use giant ships and cannons, wearing thick armor that looks like it has been transported from the Warring States Period is indeed a bit exaggerated.
This kind of armor is okay for blocking swords, but in front of guns and artillery, it can only make a hole and a pile of rubbish with one shot.
However, exaggeration is exaggeration, even those who hate Qingdeng have to admit at this moment: Qingdeng wearing this armor is very powerful and intimidating.
As the saying goes: People are what they wear.
On the other hand, clothing also depends on people.
Some clothes must have a certain temperament to hold up. Otherwise, it will just give people the feeling of "a child wearing adult clothes".
Having gone through hundreds of battles, slaying countless enemies, repeatedly performing extraordinary feats, and rising to great heights - such a legendary life, paired with gorgeous armor, naturally complements each other and is awe-inspiring.
Not long after Aoto appeared, the highest authority of the Edo shogunate also appeared.
I saw Tokugawa Iemo wearing a tasseled crown and black court clothes, looking elegant and extraordinary.
If Aoshinobu is a general who emerged from the war paintings of the Sengoku period, then Tokugawa Iemo is an elegant scholar who emerged from the freehand paintings of the Heian period.
The court attire, which is full of characteristics of the Heian period, matches the majestic Tokugawa Iemo very well and is full of majestic style.
When this pair of monarchs and ministers stand together, they give people a wonderful sense of harmony.
*******
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Today is the first day of this month! And today is the first long-awaited chapter of more than 5,000 words! Book friends who have monthly votes, please be sure to vote for this book! (Leopard Leopard Head with Tears)
Please give me a monthly ticket! Please give me a recommendation vote! (Leopard Head Cries)
Ps: In the previous article, when Serizawa Duck first appeared, Leopard Leopard made a mistake. He wrote "with an iron fan on his waist" instead of "with an iron ruler on his waist." This has been revised.
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This chapter has been completed!