Chapter 807 The Shinsengumi, yes! Routine search! [5000]
After the Zunban faction goes underground and launches a terrorist attack, every street, alley, and house in Kyoto may turn into a bloody and fierce battlefield!
Intricate intelligence, street chases, sword flashes in the streets...Spy wars and street battles have become the most mainstream methods of confrontation between the two factions of patriots (Samu Zunbo).
It would definitely not work if the cavalry, gunnery and ninja teams were to engage in street fighting.
The Ninja Team is busy conducting espionage activities and secretly engaging in invisible battles with patriots.
Needless to say, the cavalry has a relationship with street fighting that is like a bull's-eye and a chicken--the same goes for the gunnery corps.
The reloading speed of the musket is too slow. If you fail to kill the enemy after one shot, you are finished.
Before you can reload, the enemy will flee or kill you.
Although the musket can be used as a spear after installing a bayonet, its effectiveness in streets with complex terrain is obviously far less effective than a more flexible sword.
Let alone cannons and the like, you can't fire cannons in urban areas like Napoleon did.
Regardless of how difficult it is to transport the cannon, once the cannon is fired, not only the enemy will be shattered, but the streets around him will also be shattered.
The humanitarian disaster and compensation issues arising from this are enough to make Qingdeng very anxious.
In the Edo period, samurai lands, public lands and temple lands were not only vast in area, but also had a small population.
On the other hand, if the residents of the town...the huge population and the densely packed buildings were to be seen by someone with cryptophobia, they would definitely faint.
Kyoto’s towns and villages are typical of them. There are countless dilapidated neighborhoods that resemble the “Shityama Code”. Their complexity is dizzying.
Here is a two-person wide path, there is a long house that is difficult to turn around... It is simply a natural and the best street fighting venue.
People with lofty ideals naturally know the truth of "leaves disappear into the forest, water droplets disappear into the sea".
They generally hide in towns and cities, which greatly increases the difficulty of arresting the Shinsengumi.
Even if they are discovered, the complex terrain of the town will facilitate their escape.
Because the terrain is too complicated and cramped, in many cases, it is not even possible to use a katana, and you can only draw out your wakizashi to fight.
In this case, it is even less suitable to send artillery teams to maintain law and order in Kyoto.
To sum up, looking at the current 11 divisions of the Shinsengumi, the only ones suitable for garrisoning in Kyoto are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th divisions that still retain swords and specialize in close combat.
It is definitely unrealistic to ask all five squadrons to patrol Kyoto.
For Ayoto, Kyoto is certainly important, but Otsu cannot be missed either.
Finally, after careful research, Qingto's specific arrangements for these five squads are as follows -
The first team is stationed in Dajin to guard the heart of the Qinjin clan.
The other four divisions are divided into two groups - the second and fourth divisions are one group; the third and fifth divisions are one group - and they rotate in Kyoto according to the month.
If the 2nd and 4th divisions are allowed to go to Kyoto this month, the 3rd and 5th divisions will stay in Otsu.
By the next month, the 2nd and 4th Divisions will return to Otsu, while the 3rd and 5th Divisions will head to Kyoto.
Repeatedly.
It's July now...it's the month when the 2nd and 4th squadrons are stationed in Kyoto.
…
…
The first year of Yuanzhi (1864), July 17——
Kyoto, four small bridges——
Kyoto in midsummer is really like a steamer.
The sunlight during the day was blazing and scorching, and the entire Kyoto was enveloped in a humid, monstrous heat wave.
There is no wind, and the air is thick and mushy, making people feel breathless and difficult to breathe.
The cicada was hiding on the branches, chirping manically and tirelessly, and its sound spread to every corner of Kyoto.
"It's so hot...I'm almost melting..."
Nagakura Shinpachi had his head drooped, sweating profusely, and looked depressed.
"What the hell kind of weather is this... Summer in Kyoto is really torturous... I'm starting to miss my hometown... Nakajima, is there water?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a strong man beside him immediately replied:
"Yes, there is still a little bit left."
With that said, he took off the bamboo tube from his waist, unscrewed the mouth of the tube and handed it to Nagakura Shinpachi.
After Nagakura Shinpachi reached out to take it, he drank it all in one gulp.
"Why is this water warm...?"
The strong man smiled bitterly:
"Captain, this is the water I just brought from the well. It was ice cold at first, but it turned into warm water after a while."
"Tsk...I hate summer in Kyoto more and more..."
Nagakura Shinpachi sighed and handed the kettle in his hand back to the strong man.
This strong man whom Nagakura Shinpachi calls "Nakajima" is none other than Noboru Nakajima, the vice-captain of the Shinsengumi 2nd Division.
Noboru Nakajima was born in the 9th year of Tenho (1838). He is 26 years old this year, one year older than Nagakura Shinpachi. The eighth prince of Tama County in Musashi Province was born in Terakata Village.
Tama, the Eighth Prince... With such a background, it is not difficult to see that he is the descendant of the Eighth Prince, and he is also a fellow countryman of Isamu Kondo, Toshizo Hijikata.
Because of his love for martial arts, he has been practicing the Natural Rishin-ryu, which is widely spread in Tama, since he was a child, and he was able to obtain the highest rank at a young age.
In this way, his relationship with Kondo Isamu and Hijikata Toshizo is not only from the same hometown, but also from the same school.
After the "Grand Recruitment" started at the beginning of the year, after being recommended by Kondo Isamu, he successfully joined the army and became a recruit of the Second Division.
In terms of swordsmanship level alone, he has not yet obtained the exemption, so he is not that superb.
However, he is very courageous, and he is a hero who is full of courage and dares to fight and charge.
Its body is very strong and its voice is extremely loud, so just shouting is enough to make the rats tremble.
With his excellent strength, it only took him 3 months to move from an ordinary soldier all the way to the current vice-captain of the second division.
It is worth mentioning that due to similar personalities and congenial smells, he quickly became friends with Nagakura Shinpachi and talked about everything.
Both of them are talkative people with loud voices and love to chat.
As soon as the two of them met, they would always talk endlessly, talking about the sun, moon and stars in the sky, the mountains, lakes and seas underground, the chopping and thrusting of swordsmanship, and a woman's neck, breasts, buttocks and feet, all across the distance.
You can hear the loud voices of these living treasures.
In this way, it formed a quite significant contrast with the third division.
The captain and deputy captains of the third division (Saito Kazuo, Nakazawa Sadaki) are not very talkative, and they can't even make a loud fart for a long time.
On the other hand, the captain and vice-captain of the second division... were making a lot of noise!
Ever since, after the third division was nicknamed "the quietest division", the second division also got their own nickname: "the noisiest division".
Nakajima Noboru asked casually while hanging the empty kettle back on his waist:
"Mr. Nagakura, if I remember correctly, your hometown is in the Matsumae Domain in Ezo, right?"
Nagakura Shinpachi nodded.
"Well, that's right. I'm from the Matsumae clan."
Noboru Nakajima looked curious.
"The Matsumae Domain is located in the far north, so it should be very cool, right?"
Nagakura Shinpachi grinned.
"Yes. Although it is very hot in summer, it is not as stuffy as Kyoto. It is quite cool after nightfall."
"If it's winter, the scene will be terrible."
"Countless snowflakes are covering the sky, and often when I wake up, the outdoor scene is completely different."
"Looking up, the whole world is blindingly white, and the snow is as high as the knees."
After Noboru Nakajima listened carefully, his face showed longing:
"Oh! Knee-high snow? I really want to see it!"
"If I have a chance in the future, I will definitely go to Matsumae Domain to have a good experience!"
Nagakura Shinpachi Wanji:
"When you are ready to go to Matsumae Domain, you can come to me and I will be your guide."
Noboru Nakajima laughed:
"Okay! Captain, it's settled!"
At this time, a young team member was panting and running towards Nagakura Shinpachi and Nakajima Noboru in three steps and two steps at a time.
"Captain, deputy captain, the target Yuya Kiemon has appeared! The target Yuya Kiemon has appeared!"
After hearing this, Nagakura Shinpachi lowered his eyelids and focused his gaze.
"Well, I understand. Thank you for your hard work. You can go down and rest first. Hey, give him a glass of cold water!"
After saying that, he stood up unhurriedly, holding on to the saber at his waist - Banshu's handle Yamaji Shige.
"Okay, let's stop chatting. It's time to get to work."
Noboru Nakajima suppressed the playful look on his face and nodded solemnly:
"Captain, let's go."
Nagakura Shinpachi waved his hand.
"Second Division, follow me!"
Before he finished speaking, he took the lead and stepped out of the alley where he was hiding.
Immediately afterwards, Nakajima ascended, and a team of soldiers wearing light green feathers followed closely behind him.
Their faces were solemn and their movements were hurried.
If you look down from above, it looks like a light green swimming dragon!
When passersby saw this, they immediately knew that the Shinsengumi was on a mission, and they all retreated to the side of the road to make way.
In the blink of an eye, this menacing "Wandering Dragon" pounced into a very inconspicuous neighborhood in Shijo Xiaoqiao, and rushed straight to a simple antique props shop with a "Yuwu" plaque on the door.
Nagakura Shinpachi didn't hesitate at all. He raised his right hand, firmly grasped the handle of the knife, and was ready to fight at any time, while he rushed towards the door in a swaggering manner.
Noboru Nakajima quickened his pace a little, rushed in front of Nagakura Shinpachi, and pulled open the door curtain.
Nagakura Shinpachi followed closely - with a bang - he pushed the door open roughly and yelled:
"We are under the command of the governor of Gyeonggi Town, and we are the Shinsengumi! Routine search!"
Before he finished speaking, Nagakura Shinpachi forced his way into the store.
Noboru Nakajima and the rest of the team filed in.
All of a sudden, everything was going crazy.
Just like its simple appearance, the interior of this shop also highlights a shabby, rough and poor feeling.
Nagakura Shinpachi rolled his eyes and glanced around. There were only two young employees working there.
Looking at the sudden arrival of the Shinsengumi, the two of them were immediately startled, with frightened expressions on their faces, and their faces turned pale.
Nagakura Shinpachi stood majestically, as straight as an iron tower. His right hand still held the handle of the sword tightly, and continued to maintain the posture of "ready to draw the sword at any time".
"Which one is Yuya Kiemon?"
"I am."
A deep male voice came from the direction of the back room.
After a while, a relatively young young man appeared in front of Nagakura Shinpachi.
Taking a leisurely pace, he moved to Nagakura Shinpachi and asked:
"May I ask who your Majesty is?"
"Captain of the Shinsengumi Second Division, Nagakura Shinpachi. Are you Yuya Kiemon?"
After Nagakura Shinpachi came to the door, Yuya Kiemon's expression suddenly changed - everyone knew the strength ranking of the Shinsengumi's "Ichitachibana, Ni Okita, San Nagakura, and Si Saito".
The person in front of him was the third master of the Shinsengumi... When he thought of this, his face turned a little pale.
However, he quickly suppressed his panic and pretended to be calm:
"Yes, I am Yuya Kiemon."
"Take it!"
Following Nagakura Shinpachi's order, the two soldiers behind him immediately stepped forward and held Yuya Kiemon's shoulders, one on the left and the other on the right, to prevent him from moving.
Faced with this sudden arrest, Yuya Kiemon finally panicked.
While struggling, he asked sharply:
"You, what are you doing? Why are you arresting me? What crime have I committed?"
Noboru Nakajima responded quietly:
"Yuya Kiemon, we now suspect that you are colluding with Nagako, please just follow us."
"The ugly talk is ahead. You have no right to refuse, let alone a chance to resist."
"If you are good, not only will you suffer less, but we will also be happy and relaxed."
"But if you don't listen to our advice and act recklessly, then we will make you suffer a little."
As he spoke, he raised his right fist as big as a casserole and shook it in front of the opponent's eyes. The threat was self-evident.
In order to vent their resentment, the people of Choshu called Qinjin, Aizu, and Satsuma "Qin demons", "traitors", and "Satsu thieves"... This made the people of San Francisco and the Shinsengumi soldiers very unhappy.
Now that we have broken our skin, there is no need to be polite to them.
Adhering to the idea of "treating others with their own methods," the Samu faction now uniformly refers to people in Changzhou as "Chang bandits."
After hearing Noboru Nakajima's threat, Yuya Kiemon was startled for a moment, and then his cheeks were filled with panic at a speed that was visible to the naked eye, as if he was drifting.
"Wait, wait! You must have made a mistake, right?"
"I am a good citizen who abides by the law!"
"Don't say it's collusion with Changzhou, I've never even seen anyone from Changzhou!"
The other party's noise made Noboru Nakajima frown, and there was a hint of impatience in his tone:
"Whether you are an innocent citizen or not is not decided by you, but by us."
"To be honest, I have met countless guys like you."
“He kept shouting ‘unjustly accused’ and claimed to be a good citizen, but in the end he was found to be a true traitor to the party.”
"Don't worry, if we really have wronged you, we will compensate you."
"Take it away quickly!"
Noboru Nakajima waved his hand, indicating not to let this guy stay here anymore.
The two soldiers, one on the left and one on the right, controlled Yuya Kiemon, responded quickly, and then dragged the other man with brute force, forcibly dragging him away from the place and escorting him outside the store.
Maybe the broken jar was broken. Yuya Kiemon gritted his teeth, frowned, and said loudly:
"It's ridiculous to break into private houses and arrest people at will, even if they are the Shinsengumi! It's so lawless!"
Hearing his words, Nagakura Shinpachi seemed to be amused, shrugged and chuckled a few times.
He raised his hand to signal "wait a moment", then walked up to Yuya Kiemon and looked down at him from a high position.
"You said 'ridiculous' and 'lawless'?"
"You don't seem to know much about our Shinsengumi."
"In that case, I'll tell you now."
"We are a legion directly affiliated with the governor of Gyeonggi Province and shoulder the heavy responsibility of defending Gyeonggi Province."
"In the face of all thieves who may cause chaos in the capital, we will have the right to kill them first and report them later!"
"We can go to places where we can't go if we practice."
"We can take care of cases that cannot be handled by the law."
"We can provoke the forces that we dare not provoke."
"We can kill those who dare not kill those who follow the principles."
"In order to protect Gyeonggi and not disgrace the name of the 'New Selection', we have long been prepared to have our hands stained with blood and our bodies stained with stigma."
"Even if we transform into a 'Ren Sheng Wolf', we won't hesitate."
"This is the Shinsengumi."
"Have I made it clear enough?"
After saying that, Nagakura Shinpachi no longer looked at the opponent. After saying "Pull him away", he turned to the other team members and ordered:
"Search for me! No matter it's the ceiling or the cellar, don't miss any corner!"
"Also, take all the people here away! They are all suspected of colluding with the Chang bandits!"
With a unanimous "yes", the soldiers of the second division dispersed, each performing his duties.
Or escort the suspect.
Or sneak into every corner of the store.
Or take out the sword from your waist and stab it at the ceiling above your head to check if there are any hidden objects on it.
Nagakura Shinpachi still maintained his posture of preparing for battle, his right hand never left the handle of the sword, and his expression was solemn.
Seeing this, Noboru Nakajima couldn't help but ask:
"Captain, what's wrong? Why are you looking serious?"
Nagakura Shinpachi replied calmly:
"It's nothing, I just have an ominous premonition."
"An ominous premonition?"
"I feel like something's not right about this place... We're afraid we're going to run into a big case today."
As soon as Nagakura Shinpachi finished speaking, he saw a team member running toward him in a panic:
"Captain! Vice-captain! Please follow me! There is a situation!"
Upon hearing this, Nagakura Shinpachi moved his feet without thinking, followed closely by Noboru Nakajima.
Halfway through, Nagakura Shinpachi asked:
"What's wrong? Did you find anything?"
The soldier looked strange:
"This, this... Captain, please go and see it yourself..."
After a while, they arrived at the warehouse behind the antique prop house.
The door to the warehouse has been opened, and two soldiers are guarding it.
After Nagakura Shinpachi strode into the warehouse, his eyes widened instantly.
"This is……?!"
At the same time, Noboru Nakajima next to him also looked the same, his expression dominated by strong shock.
I saw that the medium-sized warehouse was densely packed with weapons!
