His body was shaking... Qingdeng felt someone shaking his body.
"...Orange."
Then, a voice came from the distance.
"...Orange!"
The sound is getting closer and louder.
"...Tachibana! Wake up!"
The particularly familiar voice... was Hijikata Toshizo's voice.
"Orange! Wake up! Stop sleeping! Wake up!"
"Mr. Hijikata, look! Mr. Tachibana's eyelids are moving!"
Following Hijikata Toshizo is the voice of Sanosuke Harada.
Suddenly, beams of white light shot into the chaos - Qingdeng slowly opened his eyes.
The not-so-soft sunlight filled his eyes, causing him to lower his eyelids and filter the light with his long eyelashes.
After his eyes adjusted to the bright light, he turned his head blankly and glanced around.
The first thing he confirmed was that he was lying flat on the ground, his face facing the sky, and two familiar faces—Hijikata Toizo and Harada Sanosuke, one on the left and one on the right—right in front of him.
This scene is very similar to the "You woke up, the operation was successful, you are now a girl.jpg" emoticon from the previous life.
"Mr. Orange, you are finally awake."
Harada Sanosuke continued to ask while showing a relaxed expression of relief:
"Mr. Orange, how do you feel now? Is there any pain? Are you hungry? Before the attack, I just put a piece of grilled squid in my arms. If you are hungry, take it and eat it."
Harada Sanosuke said as if by magic, he took out a palm-sized paper bag from his arms.
Faced with Harada Sanosuke's machine-gun-like continuous questioning, Aomori did not respond immediately.
Now he only feels that his head is extremely swollen, as if it has been filled with lead, and he can't figure out what the situation is now.
As consciousness awakens, all the memories from before the coma come to mind, just like fish spitting bubbles.
"The realm of selflessness"... Setsuna... Victory over Prajna... The sudden appearance of the Kyoto Tengu...
After the last bit of fog in his mind was dispelled, he suddenly widened his eyes, his pupils shrank, and he struggled to sit up.
Seeing this, Harada Sanosuke hurriedly said:
"Mr. Orange, it's better for you to lie down obediently! You are seriously injured. If you accidentally involve the wound, you will be in trouble!"
Aoto understands Harada Sanosuke's good intentions, but he doesn't care about that much now.
After standing up, he immediately stretched his neck and looked around for Boss Kiryu.
Fortunately, as soon as he turned his eyes, he immediately found the sleeping old man next to him.
Just like Aoden just now, Boss Kiryu was lying flat on the ground, facing the sky, his chest rising and falling regularly.
Seeing that Boss Kiryu was fine, Qingto finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the big stone in his heart fell to the ground.
Then, he withdrew his gaze from the old man and turned to look at the environment he was currently in.
Looking up, the surroundings were full of unfamiliar sights.
There was a faint smell of blood in the air, and fierce shouts of killing could be heard in the distance.
"Where is this?"
Qingden had just finished asking the question, and when he was three years old, Hijikata on the back replied:
"We are now at the southern foot of Lanshan Mountain. We were chasing the Changzhou Army, and suddenly we found you two sleeping soundly here."
——The southern foot of Arashiyama...? Why did Boss Kiryu and I end up here...
Just as Qingdeng was thinking this, he later realized that his body was very heavy.
After raising his hand and touching it, he realized that all parts of his body were wrapped in thick linen, and the wounds from head to toe had been simply treated.
Qingdeng has never studied medicine, but as an "injury professional", he has never eaten pork and has seen pigs running away, so he has a certain understanding of trauma treatment, mainly sharp-instrument injuries.
Just from the sore and numb feeling coming from the wound, he knew that the person who treated his injury just applied some ointment to his wound and then wrapped it tightly with linen to prevent further blood loss.
Although the technique was a bit rough and far from being called treatment, Qingdeng was not in danger of his life for the time being.
Otherwise, even if Qingdeng has the blessing of the talent "Block Blood +7", if these wounds are allowed to bleed continuously, he will not be able to withstand such a huge consumption.
"Susan, Sanosuke, did you bandage these injuries for me?"
Hijikata Toshizo shook his head:
"No, when we found you, you were already in this treated state."
Qingdeng couldn't help being stunned when he heard this.
This being the case, it means that some unknown person treated Hijikata Toshizo's injuries before he and the others arrived.
Who is it?
The answer to this question is not difficult to guess at all.
A tall figure wearing a red Tengu mask quickly appeared in his mind.
When he was about to fall into a coma from exhaustion, he saw a mysterious man wearing a red Tengu mask walking straight towards him and Boss Kiryu at a leisurely pace.
Looking at this person, a name came out of Qingdeng's mouth: Kyoto Tengu!
To be honest, Qingdeng thought for a while that he had encountered a ghost.
Qingto knew almost nothing about this legendary Tengu of Kyoto.
All he knew about it came from the few words he heard from Mr. Gu Mu.
All we know is that the Tengu of Kyoto was a righteous man who was very skilled and keen on fighting injustices. He was once very famous in Kyoto.
Because this person was active a long time ago, only the older generation of people in their forties still remember this name.
When he first heard about this incident, Qingdeng completely regarded it as ordinary market rumors.
Even if there is such a person in history, most of them are not in Kyoto or are no longer alive.
The figure who thought he had disappeared in the long river of history suddenly appeared in front of him... How could Qingden not be surprised?
Judging from the opponent's vigorous posture as he easily jumped down from the tree trunk, as well as his steady and powerful gait, he should be still very young, at least not a stumbling old man.
But in this way, it goes against the rumors Ayoto knows that "Kyoto Tengu was active very early, so he must be very old."
Could it be said that the name "Kyoto Tengu" is passed down from generation to generation like kabuki?
The second or third generation Kyoto Tengu standing in front of him now?
After all, why are Kyoto Tengu here?
When did he appear here?
Why didn't I feel his breath at all?
What does he want to do?
All kinds of questions filled Qingdeng's mind.
Although he tried hard to recall, he only remembered that not long after the Tengu appeared in Kyoto, he passed out due to exhaustion of energy.
When he woke up, it was the scene of "You're awake.jpg" with Toshizo Hijikata and Sanosuke Harada crowded in front of him.
Judging from all the information known so far, it is not difficult to infer that it was the Kyoto Tengu who treated his injuries and sent him and Boss Kiryu here.
——Kyoto Tengu...Who is this person? Why do you want to help me?
With countless questions in mind, Aoto turned to Hijikata Toshizo and Harada Sanosuke and asked:
"Did you see a man wearing a red Tengu mask?"
"Red Tengu mask?"
While Harada Sanosuke muttered, he turned to look at Hijikata Toshizo - the two of them shook their heads in confusion.
Qingdeng sighed as he expected:
"Oh, forget it, just pretend I didn't ask."
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, a burst of gunfire from a distance brought Qingdeng's consciousness back to reality.
Thanks to the gunshot, Qingden came back to his senses: he is still on the battlefield!
His duel with Prajna was over, but the war between the Changzhou Army and the Changzhou Army was not yet over.
Although Qingto is very concerned about the true identity and behavioral intentions of the Kyoto Tengu, he should leave this matter to be considered later.
——It’s better to concentrate on ending the current war now!
After thinking this secretly, Qingden looked at Hijikata Toshizo and put on a serious expression:
"Susan, how is the war going now?"
Hijikata Toshizo answered without thinking:
"It's generally going well. We have achieved an overwhelming victory. The Changzhou Army has been defeated across the board. They even lost their crotch cloth. It's just..."
When he said the word "just", Hijikata Toshizo paused for a moment, and a look of regret appeared on his cheeks:
"The general of the Changzhou Army has obviously changed. His command style suddenly became extremely cautious."
"We have recaptured Tenryuji Temple...although the temple has been burned to rubble."
"Currently, the last remaining force of the Changzhou Army has retreated to Lanshan. Taking advantage of the convenient location of Lanshan, it is launching a steady resistance."
"Although all the soldiers in the army pursued bravely,...'attacking the mountain' is not an easy task. Our troops and combat experience are still insufficient."
"The soldiers were either tired of climbing the mountain or lost in the dense forest, and the pursuit progress was not ideal."
"Judging from the current situation, we are afraid that we will not be able to completely annihilate the Changzhou Army."
After Aoden listened quietly, he smiled and patted Hijikata Toshizo on the shoulder.
"Susan, relax."
"The Choshu Army suffered a huge defeat and suffered heavy casualties. The leaders of the Zunbo faction headed by General Gensui Kusaka were all killed - for us, the results of the battle are rich enough."
"If you are too greedy, I'm afraid you will be disturbed by it."
As he spoke, he put his hands on the ground and stood up unsteadily.
Seeing this, Hijikata Toshizo couldn't help but frown:
"Ju, don't tell me that you still want to go to the front line."
"Although I don't know what you did, you are in such a miserable state, so you should stay here obediently."
Qingdeng smiled bitterly and said:
"I know, and I don't plan to force myself anymore."
He himself knows best what his current physical condition is.
Although he had just taken advantage of his coma and managed to get some sleep, he had only recovered to the point where he could "stay awake and be able to barely stand".
I have to say that the recovery abilities brought by talents such as "Sleep God" and "Strong Essence +4" are really amazing.
Based on Qingdeng's own estimation, he only slept for half an hour at most.
It's really scary to be able to recover to this level after only sleeping for such a short time.
All in all, with his current body riddled with holes, forcing himself to the front line will only cause trouble for others.
Therefore, Qingdeng immediately said:
"On the third year of Sui San, the command of the front line has been temporarily handed over to me. As for me, I will be waiting for your victory in this formation. Don't let me wait in vain."
Hijikata Tosei smiled:
"When have I ever let you down?"
…
…
Today's battle lasted until evening.
After Hijikata Toshizo took over the frontline command from Aoto, he personally took the arrows and launched a violent attack on the Choshu Army's "Arashiyama Defense Line".
He divided the troops into three shifts and launched attacks in batches, without giving the Changzhou Army any breathing space.
When the time came to afternoon, the Changzhou Army, whose defense line was no longer sustainable, began to withdraw from Lanshan and evacuate to the west of Lanshan... that is, towards the direction of the Western Kingdom.
Hijikata Toshizo immediately led the cavalry and all the soldiers who could ride horses - such as Nagakura Shinpachi and Saito Ichi - to launch the final blow against the Choshu Army.
This pursuit battle can be described as the autumn wind sweeping away the fallen leaves!
Hijikata Tobizo and others chased for hundreds of kilometers at a stretch, and fought until they reached the Harima area west of Gyeonggi Province before stopping due to fatigue of horses and men, replicating the grand occasion last year when the Huisa coalition forces expelled the Choshu forces from Kyoto.
At this point, this large-scale battle with astonishing scale, involving tens of thousands of troops from both sides, finally came to an end.
Because this battle took place in late summer and took the western suburbs of Kyoto as the main battlefield, people at the time named this battle "Kyoto Summer Formation".
No matter which angle it is evaluated from, the Tauchang Legion has achieved an undoubted victory.
Although his own casualties were extremely light, he severely damaged the Choshu Army and blocked the Choshu Army on the outskirts of Kyoto, saving this thousand-year-old capital from military disaster.
Among them, the Shinsengumi...or Qinjin Clan is the biggest winner.
Through this battle, Qingteng successfully tested the training results of the Shinsengumi and showed off his muscles, which frightened all the Gyeonggi feudal lords and confirmed the Qinjin clan's position as the absolute leader in the Gyeonggi region.
On the other hand, Choshu... Hijikata Toshizo said that they even lost their loincloths, which is really not an exaggeration.
Not to mention the heavy casualties, more importantly, their prestige was completely destroyed.
In many cases, reputation is often more important than population, money and food.
As one of the most powerful and oldest vassal states in Japan, the Choshu Domain has always had a decisive influence in the Western Kingdom.
There is a saying that "God cannot bleed."
Mobilizing tens of thousands of troops, they launched a mighty Eastern Expedition, only to be completely defeated in just two days... It is no exaggeration to say that today's Changzhou has completely become the laughing stock of the world.
The Maori family, which once dominated the Western Kingdom, is this?
By now, almost everyone in the world is thinking like this: Changzhou is over! The movement to respect the king and repel the foreigners is over!
…
…
A few days later——
Aki area, somewhere adjacent to the Seto Inland Sea——
The dim sunlight struggled to penetrate the layers of fog and weakly sprinkled on the ground, barely illuminating a slowly creeping dark brown patch on the dirt road.
This dark brown color is the Changzhou Army returning home.
At first glance, they really looked like they had been splashed with dark brown paint.
The vast majority of the soldiers in the army had their bodies covered with dirt and blood, and their clothes were stained with blood. They all looked like beggars.
Of course, compared to their appearance, their mental outlook is definitely gloomier.
Most people have their heads drooped, their waists bent, and they seem to be floating when they walk.
No one said anything, it was eerily silent even though there were so many people there.
Apart from grief and numbness, there is no third expression, lifelessness...
It was clear that there were a mighty 12,000 troops when they set out, but not even half of them came back... Facing such a tragic situation, no matter how optimistic you are, it is difficult to cheer up.
Katsura Kogoro walked on foot in the middle of the military column, walking side by side with ordinary soldiers.
He originally had a horse, but he temporarily lent it to the wounded.
"Gui, Mr. Gui..."
Suddenly, Katsura Kogoro heard a hoarse voice coming from behind him.
Turning around, he saw a young samurai holding a radish with a lot of fresh soil and walking up to Katsura Kogoro in two steps.
"This is the radish I just dug. Although it is a bit small, it can still fill my stomach. Please take it and eat it."
As he spoke, he handed the radish in his hand to Katsura Kogoro's arms.
Looking at this small radish that was only as thick as his finger, Katsura Kogoro couldn't help but swallow.
In order to increase the marching speed as much as possible and get rid of the pursuit of the commander's army, under the personal instruction of Katsura Kogoro, they threw away all the baggage they could throw.
In this way, although the queues were streamlined, the material reserves in the army fell into an extreme shortage, and the anxiety of running out of food lingered in the hearts of the soldiers.
Even Katsura Kogoro hasn't eaten anything serious for two days in a row.
Although he wanted to put this little carrot into his mouth immediately, he still resisted his desire and said seriously:
"Thank you for your kindness. You worked hard to dig this out. How can I steal it? You can take it and eat it yourself."
As soon as he finished speaking, the other party immediately made a serious face:
"How can this work! I'm just a nobody, and my life doesn't matter at all! Mr. Gui, you are our hope for the rejuvenation of Changzhou. I can die, but you must not make any mistakes!"
Katsura Kogoro wanted to continue to refuse, but at this moment, an anxious voice suddenly sounded from beside him:
"Mr. Gui, the soldiers are very tired. Let everyone rest for a while!"
The speaker is a general who is very close to Katsura Kogoro.
Faced with this person's sincere request, Katsura Kogoro shook his head after thinking for a moment:
"No, we can't rest yet. We can't afford to delay now, we must rush back to Changzhou as soon as possible."
The man wanted to say something more, but after seeing Katsura Kogoro's expression, the words that had already flowed to his lips were swallowed back by him.
Time is tight - they understand this even without Katsura Kogoro having to explain it in detail.
Nowadays, to put it bluntly, Changzhou is a drowned dog - anyone would want to bully a drowned dog that has lost its former prestige.
There is no doubt that many vassal states are now willing to cause trouble for Choshu in order to ask for credit from the shogunate and earn some credit.
For this reason, Katsura Kogoro had to order the entire army to move forward in a low-key manner, try to avoid those vassal cities, and at the same time be prepared at any time.
All in all, it is urgent to rush back to Changzhou as soon as possible to ensure the safety of the entire army.
"No need to say any more."
Katsura Kogoro continued in a tough tone:
"Give me my order and keep moving forward! If you have no strength, show your perseverance..."
"Mr. Gui! Mr. Gui!"
Suddenly, the shout of the messenger interrupted Katsura Kogoro's words.
A messenger galloped towards Katsura Kogoro on flying horse.
Seeing that the messenger was coming, Katsura Kogoro asked first:
"What's wrong?"
The messenger couldn't hide his excitement and said loudly:
"Yes, it's Mr. Takasugi! Mr. Takasugi is here to pick us up!"
"What?"
Katsura Kogoro's pupils narrowed slightly and he asked hurriedly:
"Takasugi is here? Where is he?"
"Right ahead! He personally led the team of surprise troops to meet us!"
"Arrogant Team... lend me your horse!"
"Yes! Mr. Gui, please mount your horse!"
Katsura Kogoro jumped on his horse and headed straight to the front of the army.
After a while, he came to the front of the military column - a familiar face came into view.
"Gui, long time no see."
Takasugi Shinsaku smiled.
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PS: According to historical facts, the Changshu Army entered Kyoto and fought a fierce battle with the allied forces at Hamumen (one of the imperial palace gates), so it was called the "Forbidden Gate Incident".
Because the Choshu Army in this book has not even set foot in Kyoto, we can only use the name "Kyoto Summer Formation" to refer to this battle.
