Chapter 798 [Changzhou Expedition]! Launch an army of 200,000! [6900]
Half a year later——
The first year of Yuanzhi (1864), June 15——
Qinjin Fan, Dajin—
It's early summer now.
The blazing and scorching sunshine shone down from the horizon, shrouding the entire Dajin in a humid and monstrous heat wave.
The "buzzing" sound of the cicada seems to be far away and yet close at hand, blurry and clear.
"Give way! Give way! If you don't want to be hit, just make way for me!"
The driver shouted, speeding up and down the street as if no one else was watching, stirring up layers of dust.
Pedestrians on the road retreated to the street to make way.
Looking at the carriages passing quickly, passers-by showed bored expressions, and some even started to curse.
"It's true! There are so many people here and they are driving so fast!"
"Aren't they just driving a carriage? Look at how arrogant they are!"
"Hey, forget it. Everyone, please understand. This vassal province is now going through construction everywhere. These coachmen are shouldering the heavy responsibility of transporting supplies. They are too busy to touch the ground. Their tempers are a little more impatient, but
There’s nothing wrong with that.”
"Look what you said! They are very busy and very tired. Aren't we craftsmen also busy and tired? Look! My hands are covered with blisters!"
"That's right! We farmers are also very tired! Do you know how tiring it is to turn a piece of wasteland into cultivated land that can grow things? Loose soil, weeding, and picking up rocks... It takes at least 2 years to successfully open up wasteland.
!”
"Oh, we are all the people of Qinjin! What is there to argue about?"
…
The air smelled of dust and heat.
Although the sky in summer is very hot, when it comes to "heat"... Otsu is no less generous!
Looking around, every street and alley in Dajin is filled with a flourishing atmosphere!
The cart drivers waved their reins and rushed to deliver supplies.
Farmers carried hoes and rushed to the wasteland waiting to be cultivated outside the town.
The craftsmen picked up their tools and continued to focus on the project at hand.
Everyone performs their duties and rushes back and forth.
Although there are occasional conflicts, this does not prevent them from continuing to serve this kind of town and this feudal country and contribute their efforts.
Similar prosperous scenes appeared in various cities, towns and villages of Qinjin Domain.
It is no exaggeration to say... the current situation of Qinjin Fan can be said to be the best explanation of the term "ascendant"!
Regardless of other places, let’s take Otsu as an example.
Compared to half a year ago, Otsu today has undergone earth-shaking changes!
The previous Otsu... to put it harshly, was just a town with nothing special except a long history.
The population is not large, there is a lack of funds, and the infrastructure is backward, giving the whole town an air of dilapidation.
There are even many buildings that can be traced back to the Warring States Period.
But now, in just half a year, Otsu has completely changed!
Every road has been repaired smoothly.
New houses are springing up like bamboo shoots after a rain.
Of course, the most significant change is undoubtedly the change in population.
A "recruitment order" issued by the Qinjin vassal government attracted countless people of the right age.
The large influx of young people indirectly promoted the development of commerce.
The rapid development of business has attracted new young people.
They promote each other and form a healthy development.
Although Otsu is far less prosperous than Osaka and Kyoto, on the other hand, it has unlimited possibilities!
Because it is white paper, you can dye it any color you like.
The best counterexample is undoubtedly Kyoto.
Because of its long history and large population, Kyoto town has a large number of old houses that resemble "Shityama Code", which seriously hinders urban development.
Even if you want to reorganize Kyoto's town planning, you don't know where to start, so you can only tinker with this "hill of shit".
In order to prevent this situation from happening, Qingdeng specially commissioned Huluwu and invited professional urban designers to make a detailed plan for Dajin.
Every new house and every new street must be reported to the feudal government in advance, and construction can only begin after obtaining permission.
If you violate this rule, you will be fined!
Compared to harsh methods such as jail and execution, Qingdeng preferred fines.
Although Qingteng had already realized this when he took up the post of serving as the side minister and the emperor's servant, it was only after he became the leader of a feudal clan that he understood more deeply: National construction is simply a bottomless pit!
No matter how much money and food you spend, it will be difficult to fill this bottomless hole!
Even with the support of the "super nanny" like Calabash House, the money is still being spent at the same rate as water.
Qingdeng had to try every means to raise funds - issuing fines was a good way to raise funds.
All in all, thanks to Qingto's precautions and the urban designer's carefully formulated plan, the streetscape of Otsu is exceptionally smooth, beautiful, and really well-organized.
When it comes to the beauty of streetscapes, even in Edo and Osaka, it’s hard to match them!
…
…
Qinjin Domain, Otsu, a certain izakaya—
They drank and drank a lot.
The moment the door curtain of this izakaya was opened, noise and hot air spurted out.
The store was extremely hot, and under the influence of the heat, the view was like a blurry, distorted and shaky "filter".
This "filter", coupled with the hazy tobacco mist, makes it almost impossible to see what is inside the izakaya.
Although it is still broad daylight and the sun is still high in the sky, this izakaya is already crowded with locals who come here to have a few drinks while taking a break from their busy schedule.
"Drink! Drink more!"
"Oh, Bintaro, you are very good at drinking today! Boss lady! Here are 4 more bottles... no, 6 bottles of soju!"
"Hey! Come on!"
After a while, the charming proprietress walked out of the kitchen carrying 6 bottles of soju on a tea tray, bringing a touch of beauty to this "manly" tavern.
As we all know, as long as it is a place where men gather, "key politics" is inevitable.
I don’t know who took the lead, but everyone in the room suddenly started discussing the recent current affairs.
"Hey, do you know? One of my buddies in the shogunate told me that the shogunate has basically completed the preparations for the war, and by the end of the year, it will officially use troops against Choshu!"
"Hey, I thought you were going to say something big. Isn't it already known to all women and children about the Shogunate's 'Changzhou Expedition'?"
"I heard that this time, the shogunate will mobilize 80,000 troops from the flag base, Aizu Domain, our Qinjin Domain, and the 21 Western Domains headed by Satsuma! A total of 200,000 troops!"
"Yes, I've heard that too! A real army of two hundred thousand! Not an imaginary number!"
"Two, two hundred thousand?!"
"Real or false..."
"The unprecedented Great Western Expedition! This should be considered the largest war since the Sekigahara War?!"
"It seems that the shogunate is determined to eliminate the Choshu clan this time..."
"Humph! It should have been like this a long time ago! I have long disliked Changzhou!"
"You can't say that. Choshu and the shogunate just have different positions. No one is good or the other is bad."
"On the other hand, this 'Changzhou Expedition' can be regarded as a continuation of the Sekigahara War two hundred years ago.
"What a coincidence, that's what I thought too. Thinking back to the Sekigahara War, the Maori family was against the Tokugawa family. After the Tokugawa family won the Sekigahara War, they only reduced the Maori family's territory and did not inherit it.
I think the Maori family has never learned their lesson and jumped out to act like a monster again after more than two hundred years. The Tokugawa family will definitely withdraw Choshu from its vassal this time and remove the Maori family!"
"Sigh... We haven't lived a peaceful life for a few days, and we are going to fight again..."
"Amitabha... Amitabha... we must not fight here..."
"Hey! What are you afraid of! We have Nioh and the Shinsengumi here! Even if a million troops attack, what can they do to us?"
"That's right! Don't forget, Lord Niou is our patron saint! He will definitely protect us!"
…
Suddenly he heard the word "Benevolent King"... Qingdeng subconsciously lowered the bamboo hat on his head while continuing to drink alone.
Listening to everyone's mindless praise of him, he felt secretly amused and could not help but curl up his lips.
He originally wanted to continue listening and learn more about people's livelihood.
Unexpectedly, after the "keying" was completed, everyone in the room began to discuss the recently discovered Okinawan place with extremely high cost performance...
Sure enough... once men get together, the topic they talk about is either "key politics" or "astringency".
Ayoto lost interest, left the drink money on the table, and strode out of the izakaya.
As soon as I opened the door curtain, a billowing heat wave hit my face.
Qingdeng walked to the street and watched the surrounding street scene with great interest.
Sellers carrying poles and hawking everywhere; women shopping for vegetables in a hurry; children laughing and playing; the increasingly dense flow of people... These sights all make a satisfied color appear on their cheeks.
The people of Otsu probably never thought that their revered Nioh would often appear by their side, eating simple meals with them, and sometimes chatting about the past and present together.
Since the beginning of spring this year, Qingdeng has found a new way to relax, which is traveling incognito.
Dress up and pretend to be an ordinary samurai, go into izakayas, teahouses and other places, listen to the voices of the people, and carefully observe the changes in the Qinjin clan.
Building a country step by step, step by step, making it strong and making its people prosperous... It is difficult to use specific words to describe the sense of accomplishment it brings!
More than half a year has passed since Qingdeng became the leader of the Qinjin clan.
For this land, Qingdeng has gradually become familiar with it from being unfamiliar at first, and knows its ins and outs.
Since the "August 18th Coup", after several months of peace, the whole of Japan has once again been shrouded in the clouds of war.
At this critical juncture, Qinjin Fan must be particularly strong in order to stand firm in this whirlpool called "era"!
When he thought of this, Qingdeng felt that the skin all over his body became tight and his nerves tensed up.
The lingering sense of crisis urged him to continue working hard and find ways to make Qinjin Fan stronger.
However, even if these utilitarian elements are put aside and just talk about feelings, Qingdeng sincerely hopes that the working people in his territory can live a better life.
Therefore, whenever he sees the ever-changing streets, whenever he sees the prosperous market, whenever he sees the flourishing vassal state, Qingden will feel particularly satisfied!
My heart was filled with a heavy sense of accomplishment, and most of my fatigue was reduced. I immediately felt sincerely that my long-term efforts were not in vain!
At the same time, the whole body will be rekindled with surging energy and motivation.
In terms of practical effects, there is really no better way to relax than this.
Qingden raised his head and glanced at the sky.
After realizing that the sun had set in the west, he murmured:
"Go back..."
With that said, he turned back and embarked on the road back to Judi.
It will still take a long time for Otsu Castle to be completely completed.
Before that, Qingdeng's family could only live in Judi.
Therefore, in order to improve the quality of life and provide a better growing environment for future little lives, at the beginning of this year, Qingdeng spent money to fully double the expansion of Judi and built more scenic spots.
A more beautiful garden.
In this way, his home became one of the largest and most luxurious mansions in Otsu.
His steps are very fast.
After a while, a towering shadow gradually appeared in front of it - it was the Otsu Castle that was gradually growing in size!
Kinoshita Rin is really reliable.
After learning about Qingdeng's need to "build a bastion", she immediately found a designer from Prussia named "Leiner".
This person is indeed the candidate recommended by Kinoshita Rin, and he does have some abilities.
After actually inspecting the geographical environment of Dajin, he customized a huge eight-pointed star-shaped fortress covering an area of 300,000 square meters!
To be honest, just looking at the design drawings, Qing Deng's eyes are filled with brilliance.
If you want to break this bastion, you must either find a way from the inside, or you can only mobilize a large number of artillery to carry out continuous bombardment - he is so sure!
Qingdeng was full of expectations for this giant fortress that was like the incarnation of the word "impregnable".
When submitting the design drawings, the designer also submitted a budget sheet.
Although he had been mentally prepared in advance, Qingdeng couldn't help but take a breath after seeing the specific figures on the budget table.
According to what this budget table shows, the waterway project requires at least 20,000 taels of gold, the budget for civil engineering and stone wall projects is 100,000 taels of gold, and the budget for construction projects is 30,000 taels of gold... All things considered, the total budget is 200,000 taels of gold!
And that doesn’t include the cost of hiring workers!
Although this is a dizzying astronomical figure, but... Youdao is "all things in the world, as long as you have money, you can solve 9999 of them"!
With the full support of Huluwu, although Qingdeng cannot be said to be accumulating wealth, he can also be said to be wealthy.
With a single order from him, the granaries and treasury were all opened!
Recruit workers, purchase materials, and start construction quickly!
Giant trees and boulders were gradually transported into the construction site.
Shouting, panting, horses neighing, cows croaking, wheels turning...the construction site is shrouded in huge noise all day long.
Because the work is hard, some workers just pick up their buckets and run away every day after receiving their daily wages.
But at the same time, new people are rushing into the construction site every day.
The world today is very bad. No matter how hard the job is, there are still people rushing to do it.
As they come in and out...the total number of workers remains roughly around 6,000.
This was a large-scale project of astonishing scale, so Kinoshita Rin specially sent several capable men under her command to assist Aomori and help oversee the construction process of the city.
Qingdeng is not too worried about the money issue.
What he is most worried about now is time.
At present, the "Changzhou Expedition" is about to begin.
The "August 18th Coup" in the middle of last year caused great changes in the political situation across Japan.
Choshu fell into the abyss and became an enemy appointed by the emperor to disrupt the government.
Since the "Black Ship Incident", Changshu has been trying new ways to disgust the shogunate.
Tokugawa Iemo could not wait to get rid of this extremely disobedient rebellious traitor.
So... how could he let go of this great opportunity to completely eliminate it?
As early as September last year, Tokugawa Iemo began preparations for the Western Expedition.
What a pity...there are too many problems within the shogunate!
It's like a tangled mess that even if you want to sort it out, there's no way to do it.
Even though the "Ichitabashi faction" has completely lost power and Tokugawa Iemoge has become the absolute leader of the shogunate, the so-called "politics" is not so simple as to rely solely on the words and orders of the general to conquer the barbarians.
People will obey orders and act obediently.
There were many people within the shogunate who did not want to fight.
Among them, those with the greatest resistance and the loudest opposition were actually the core military force of the shogunate, that is, the direct disciples.
You're kidding! When my ancestors fought the Sekigahara War and annihilated the Toyotomi family, they did all my life's work! I came to this world just to enjoy happiness! Eat, drink, go to the theater, go to Yoshiwara to play with women,
What joy! What kind of war are you fighting?
The generals were strongly opposed, and the civil servants were also shaking their heads in denial.
The rhetoric used by civilian officials was nothing more than the same old clichés of "lack of food and pay", "the combat distance is too long", "the morale of the army is low" and "the benefits are not great".
This is war... real blood and fire!
This is no longer a simple struggle for interests, it is related to the life and death of countless people!
In order to avoid this war, those people and factions who usually showed a submissive appearance in front of Tokugawa Iemo formed an alliance one after another, fought hard based on their reasons, and vigorously opposed the "Changshu Expedition" without giving in at all.
Under heavy resistance, Tokugawa Iemo could be said to be dancing in shackles, beating mice in a china shop, and advancing the war agenda with great difficulty.
It took nearly a year, and after repeated coercion, inducements, and compromises, Tokugawa Iemocai finally managed to integrate the hearts of the people within the shogunate and complete war mobilization.
The "rumors" claimed by the people in the izakaya just now are all true.
This time, Tokugawa Iemo decided to issue an unprecedented mobilization order!
Not only the 80,000 bannermen must be dispatched, but also the Qinjin Domain, the Aizu Domain, and the 21 Western Domains headed by the Satsuma Domain, a total of 200,000 troops! Attack Choshu in five groups!
As a core confidant of Tokugawa Iemo, Aomori has received reliable news not long ago - this "Changshu Expedition" will be led by Matsudaira Yoshiho's Aizu Army and his Shinsengumi as the main forward force!
The tentative time for the expedition is November this year.
When thinking about a battle plan, one must not be blindly optimistic and must take the worst-case scenario into account - this has always been Qingdeng's good habit.
Although judging from the current situation, the shogunate has an absolute advantage. It has a large-scale expeditionary force and has the great purpose of sending troops to "conquer the Korean enemies."
However, since a war was about to begin, we had to consider the possibility that "the Choshu clan would strike first and launch an eastern expedition before the shogunate and fight all the way to Otsu Castle."
In fact, Qingdeng believes that such a possibility does not exist!
All in all, it is necessary to formulate corresponding response plans based on the premise of "Changzhou launches the Eastern Expedition".
At present, the moat of Ojin City has just been dug and the foundation has been laid firmly. Not to mention the high wall, even the earthen walls have not been built yet.
If the enemy attacks, this kind of disconnected city will really be of little use.
What's the use of a castle that can't keep up with the war?
Qingdeng once approached the designer and asked him how long it would take for Otsu Castle to be completely completed.
"Based on the current progress...if there are no natural or man-made disasters, there is hope that the project will be completed within five years," the designer said.
5 years... To be honest, this time is really too long!
Although he was anxious, Qingdeng also knew that the only thing he could do now was to wait slowly.
Whether it is the recruitment of manpower or the investment of funds, the marginal effect has been achieved.
Even if more manpower is recruited or further investment is made, the construction speed will not be increased, and it may even have counterproductive effects.
In other words - now it is as fast as possible!
Therefore, we can only wait patiently...
…
…
After returning to Orange Mansion, Qingdeng walked through the winding corridors with ease and headed straight into the depths of the mansion.
"Your Highness, please welcome me."
"Your Highness! Your Majesty!"
"Your Highness, Madam Wu's calf is cramping again."
…
"Your Highness" was said one after another, surrounding Qingdeng from all directions.
Now, he has become "His Royal Highness" as others call him.
The waiters and guards along the way retreated to both sides one after another, and while making way, they saluted Qingdeng respectfully.
Such a magnificent mansion naturally requires a large number of attendants to maintain its daily operations.
In addition, adequate guards must be provided to ensure safety.
Ever since Seito became famous, especially after he expelled the Choshu clan and completely offended the Zunbo faction, there have been even more people who want to take his life.
Although Qingteng is not afraid of these rats, he has to think about Sanako and the others.
Therefore, he selected a group of highly skilled elites from the Shinsengumi to form a bodyguard specifically responsible for protecting Tachibana Residence.
Not only are all the members of this escort team equally capable as ten, but they are also well-equipped with swords, spears, chainmail, and even muskets.
If any unscrupulous people come to attack, they will be killed as many as they come!
By the way, Aomori brought Kyubei over.
After the grand wedding of "one man and three women", Kubei approached Aoto and expressed his sincere intention to continue serving Aoto.
Although he was very happy while working at the Imperial Examination Hall, and Kondo Shusuke and his family took good care of him, he still wanted to serve the Tachibana family.
"Master, both you and the late master have been very kind to me! In order to repay my kindness, I made up my mind a long time ago that I will work for the Ju family for the rest of my life!"
Seeing that the other party was talking about this, Qingdeng could only nod in agreement.
So, he took over Jiubei and asked him to continue to be a loyal servant of the Tachibana family, responsible for cleaning Aoto's room and washing Aoto's underwear - this kind of extremely private work can only be left to Absolute
Only a trustworthy Kyubei can make Aonto feel at ease.
The maid he met just now told Qingdeng: Ah Wu's legs are cramping again.
After learning about this, Qingdeng was stunned for a moment, then with a wry smile on his face, he asked where A Wu was now, then changed his direction and strode to find her.
After a while, he heard a familiar moan.
"Uh...! Uh...! Uh...! Uh...!"
"You're really in trouble... You've had leg cramps every three days. How do you feel now?"
"Ugh...! Go a little further...yes, that's right there...push harder...oh...! It hurts...!"
"Oh, you are really in trouble. You want me to massage you again, but you feel that I am too strong when I massage it for you. Really... what now? Is this strength okay?"
"Well...just right..."
Qingdeng followed the sound and came to a spacious, quiet and unique courtyard.
On the corridor, two beautiful figures caught Qingdeng's eyes.
Ah Wu lay flat on the verandah, her legs without socks resting on Sanazi's lap.
While Sanako looked helpless, she kept massaging Ah Wu's legs with her hands.
Compared with two years ago, the appearance of the two girls has changed very significantly.
It's not that their faces have changed, they are still so young and charming.
It was their figures that had changed - their originally flat and tight belly now had a significant bulge.
*******
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I spent a lot of time on the last chapter and deleted a lot of content, but it finally passed the review... Not happy! (Leopard Explosion.jpg) However, the matter has come to this, and there is no point in complaining...
Speaking of which, I haven’t had a book club to promote this book for a long time! Book friends who want to join the group can go to the comment area of the Qidian mobile terminal! There is a group account there! (Leopard Hi.jpg)
For the sake of Leopard Leopard's conscience, please be sure to vote for this book! (Leopard's head cries.jpg)
