Chapter 905 The second “China’s Great Return”!【4800】
Due to his emotional excitement, Tokugawa Qingsheng's voice was hoarse and almost broken.
When he mentioned the word "Matsuhira Higomori", he emphasized his tone specially.
Its intention is clear at a glance.
The Owari Domain is one of the "Three Imperial Households", and all feudal lords have inherited the position of Dainagon (secondary subordinate) hereditary.
In terms of the rank of daimyo, he is one of the "three imperial families"; in terms of official position in the imperial court, he is the powerful one.
On the other hand, Matsudaira Yoshiho... Although the Aizu Domain is also a direct clan, it is definitely not comparable to the Owari Domain. The difference between the two is like "adopted son" and "parent child".
As for the position of Higomori (from the top five), which has been hereditary for generations of the Aizu family, it cannot be compared with Gon Dainanagon.
Therefore, Tokugawa Qingsheng’s meaning is very simple: You, a low-ranking official, don’t refute your superior’s words!
Under normal circumstances, Matsudaira Yoho, who doesn't like to cause trouble, would probably just shut up and stop.
However...the current emergency situation caused him to lose his former composure.
Boom!
He stood up quickly.
Because he stood up too hard, the horse underneath him was directly ejected, and he landed heavily on the ground, making a loud noise.
"Tokugawa Daigan, I am by no means a cold-blooded person, let alone being generous to others!"
"Owari Clan was attacked, and I am equally anxious."
"But if we return to the division now, our recent achievements... no, our combat preparations over the past year will all be in vain!"
"Since the surprise troops are far away from Owari, it means that the current Choshu Domain is truly an 'empty country'."
"In this case, now is the best time to go all out to take Hagi City and eliminate Choshu!"
"In order to conquer Changzhou, we have been preparing and waiting for a long time. Is it possible to give up like this?"
"If we don't take advantage of this opportunity to bring peace and stability to the country in one fell swoop, the Tuesday Kingdom will have endless troubles in addition to this serious internal problem!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately received a huge number of echoes.
"That's right!"
"I hate Changzhou so much!"
"General Tachibana! We should continue the attack! Destroy Changzhou!"
At first glance, the momentum of the "war faction" is quite impressive.
However... the volume of "main withdrawal" is not weak either.
As soon as Matsudaira Yongho finished speaking, Tokugawa Qingsheng on the back snorted:
"Ha! What Matsudaira Higomori said is so impassioned!"
"I'm just short of being labeled a 'coward' and a 'treacherous traitor who delayed the fight'!"
"I do not deny that my advocacy of 'returning to school immediately' is out of selfishness."
"But, I am also thinking about the overall situation!"
Having said this, he imitated Matsudaira Yongho and stood up abruptly, scanning the audience with sharp eyes:
"Let me ask you, the Choshu Army spent all their efforts to cross the sea to surprise Owari. Is it just because they want Noo's wealth?"
"I also know that this kind of thing is absolutely impossible!"
"They must have other plans!"
"Open the map and take a good look!"
"What are the places on the east and west sides of Owari Clan?!"
"The west side is Gyeonggi and the east side is Kanto!"
"Let me ask you, if the Changshu Army marches to Kantung, what should we do?"
"Let me ask you again, if the Changzhou Army marches towards Gyeonggi, what should we do?"
Speaking of this, Tokugawa Qingsheng paused for a moment, then turned to look at Qingden not far away.
"General Tachibana, as far as I know, the two mistresses of your clan have just given birth."
"If the Changzhou Army marches towards the capital, the noble domain will be the first to bear the brunt."
"Can you bear to put your wife and children in danger?"
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the tent changed subtly.
Nagakura Shinpachi, Serizawa Kamo, Toudo Heisuke and other Shinsengumi generals all changed their expressions.
Tokugawa Yoshikatsu's words were so bold and straightforward that he even put Aintō on the fire.
Although what he said just now is very unpleasant, I have to admit that his point of view is correct.
Even Yōho Matsudaira, a die-hard "warrior", was unable to refute the opponent for a while.
The Choshu Army, which successfully captured Owari, has gained strategic initiative and has great potential both to the west and to the east.
Choshu was captured, but Edo or Gyeonggi were gone... So, could it still be considered a victory for them?
Neither of the two factions agrees with the other.
In this way, the tent fell into a brief silence.
After a moment, no one knew who could raise his head, and everyone at the scene turned to look at Qing Deng who was sitting on the main seat.
Confused, hesitant, annoyed, panic...all kinds of eyes fell on Qingdeng.
"..."
Since just now, Qingdeng has been silent and has no expression on his face.
If there is anyone who can stabilize the morale of the military at present, it is Renren.
No matter how fierce the quarrel between Matsudaira Yongho and Tokugawa Yoshikatsu was.
Frankly speaking, Qingdeng is not as calm as he appears on the surface.
There is a huge lack of information right now.
The little information we know so far all comes from that brave messenger.
This afternoon, the envoy, covered with bruises and dying, arrived at the rear army camp.
"This place...is the main camp of the Marching Army...? I have something urgent to tell you...take me to see...General Tachibana...!"
Isamu Kondo, who was in charge of commanding the rear army, rushed to the scene after hearing the news. After discovering that the messenger's clothes were embroidered with "Owari Mitsuha", he did not dare to neglect and hurriedly sent him to the Chinese army camp.
After meeting Aoshinobu, he told the truth about the "Owari attack" in detail, regardless of his fatigue and pain.
When he finished speaking, he finally completed his mission and couldn't bear it anymore. He rolled his eyes and passed out.
Overall, the Changzhou Army fought a very beautiful surprise attack.
After landing on a beach in Owari Domain by boat, the Choshu Army stepped up their march under the cover of night, quickly penetrated the hinterland of Owari Domain, and headed straight for Nagoya Castle.
The reason why their march was so smooth was thanks to the "One Country, One City Order".
The shogunate will never neglect to suppress you just because you are one of the "Royal Three Clan" or any other close vassal.
Therefore, the huge Owari Domain only has one city, Nagoya Castle, and there are neither castles nor passes in other places.
In fact, there are no barriers to build.
The entire territory of Owari Domain is an endless plain with no danger to defend.
One country, one city order... This law used by the shogunate to maintain its dominance ended up indirectly harming itself... The so-called "black humor" is roughly like this.
Nagoya Castle is not a mountain castle or flat mountain castle built in the mountains, it is just an ordinary flat castle.
Because the feudal lord Tokugawa Yoshikatsu took away most of the sergeants, only a minimum number of troops were left in the city.
Did anyone in the Owari Domain ever think that a hostile force would cross the sea to suddenly attack their domain?
What's more, it was still night at that time, when energy was least effective, carelessness was most likely to occur, and defense was weakest.
All of the above have put Nagoya Castle's defense capabilities at a rare low in history.
Although the Owari Domain is a large domain, its armaments are not significantly different from those of the smaller domains. They also have swords and guns in storage, horses are sent to Nanshan, and armaments are depleted. At most, the size of the troops is larger.
Modern armies can crush feudal armies.
Being prepared and unprepared turned this battle into a one-sided massacre.
The Choshu Army reached Nagoya Castle without any effort, and then broke through the city gate without any effort.
According to the messenger, the sudden rain of shells instantly enveloped the city gates and walls.
In just a few moments, the bricks and tiles of the city wall, which had been in disrepair for a long time, peeled off like snowflakes.
After a while, the city gate collapsed and was completely opened.
Immediately afterwards, groups of sergeants armed with advanced muskets climbed over the collapsed city walls and opened the city gates, and filed in - many of them had Western faces.
These Westerners are very brave, as strong as tigers, and skillful in using guns and cannons. At first glance, they are well-trained elite troops.
The defenders in the city were beaten to the point of abandoning their armor and were unable to establish an effective defense line.
Because of the disorganization and breakdown of order, they forgot to destroy the warehouse when they retreated.
The countless essences accumulated by the Owari Clan over three hundred years were so easily taken advantage of by thieves.
Fortunately, when the city was broken, the defenders sent envoys in time, ordering them to quickly go to the Western Kingdom to find the army of the Marching Commander for reinforcements.
In order to successfully report the news, they sent more than 20 envoys at once to break through from different directions.
The envoy who finally successfully arrived at the main formation of the Marching Army... was the only one in front of Qingdeng.
From this we can see how dangerous and cruel the battle is at night.
Comparing his feelings with his own, Aomori felt very sympathetic to Tokugawa Qingsheng.
His main city was attacked, and his family members did not know whether to live or die... If he had gone through these ordeals, he would probably not be able to maintain his sanity.
In fact, it may not be long before he encounters the same crisis.
When leading the army on the expedition, Qingdeng only left a small number of troops to defend his homeland.
In other words, the current Qinjin is also an "empty country"!
If the Changzhou Army moves westward, Qinjin Fan's current defense capabilities will definitely not be able to withstand it!
As soon as he thought of this, the faces of Sanazi, Awu, and his newborn son and daughter... flashed through Qingden's mind.
——Sanako...Awu...Kuroro...Ningning...
He clenched his fists unconsciously.
The same is true for Edo in the east...
Qingdeng didn't think that Hatamoto's 80,000 cavalry could stop a modern army that was proficient in guns and artillery!
If Edo falls...
Suddenly, a new face - the face of the mother and son - emerged from his mind.
——Iemo...Atsuhime...
Although he wanted to return immediately to repel the Choshu Army entrenched in Owari and relieve the crisis in Qinjin and Edo, Seito did not lose his due reason.
It is not difficult to give the order to return to the army, but what about the current "Changzhou Expedition"? Just give up?
If they return to the army now and let Changzhou go through this crisis and take a breather, God knows what they will do next.
Qingdeng and Changzhou formed a bloody feud.
Changzhou was not destroyed for one day, but one day he felt a stone under the quilt, which caused pain in his back.
Should we return to the division? Or continue the march?
Two thoughts started a fierce battle in Qingdeng's mind.
No matter which one he chooses in the end, only one thing is absolutely certain - his choice will greatly affect the future!
If you make one wrong step, you will be wrong every step of the way!
"..."
"..."
"..."
Under everyone's eager expectations, finally... Qingdeng spoke.
"...The march, Commander, cannot be stopped."
"Master Feizhou is right. Now is the time when Changzhou's defense is at its weakest. We cannot let this opportunity pass by!"
As soon as these words came out, the "main war faction" headed by Matsudaira Yongho burst into smiles, looking relieved.
However, before Tokugawa Yoshikatsu could show his disappointed expression, Aomori continued:
"But! 'Return to the army and defeat the thieves' is equally important!"
"Therefore, we must not only continue the march, but also liberate Owari!"
The astonishing remarks made the inside and outside of the tent once again surrounded by silence.
Everyone here looks at me and I look at you, and you can see expressions of shock, astonishment, etc. on each other's faces.
Since it is difficult to give up both options, then choose both - Qingdeng finally came to this greedy decision after intense deliberation.
Suddenly, a faint voice came out:
"General Tachibana, do you mean... to divide the troops into two groups?"
The person who spoke was none other than Saigo Kinosuke, who represented the Satsuma Domain.
He was obviously appointed as the staff officer of the Marching Army, but since the battle began, he has been strangely silent and rarely speaks in military meetings.
Qingdeng nodded solemnly.
"Yes, the troops are divided into two groups!"
Having said this, he turned to look at Matsudaira Yongho.
"Master Feizhou, you will temporarily take over the position of 'Governor' and lead the army to continue the attack on Changzhou."
"I personally lead the Shinsengumi back to rescue Owari!"
After a shock, another shock arose.
After listening to Seito's deployment, the Shinsengumi generals and others were all shocked.
Saigo Yoshinosuke frowned lightly and asked:
"General Tachibana, you only lead the Shinsengumi back to the division? No other troops?"
Qingdeng nodded again.
"That's right. The larger the size of the army, the more difficult it will be to command and affect the army."
"The secret to dispatching troops is to use the least amount of troops to do the most difficult things!"
"My newly selected five thousand elite soldiers are enough to defeat the thieves!"
"Lord Feizhou, can I safely hand over the legion to you?"
Having said that, Qingden looked straight at Matsudaira Yongho.
After being stunned for a moment, the other party nodded vigorously and solemnly.
"No problem! Please feel free to leave it to me!"
Qingdeng nodded slightly to show his determination.
Then, he tilted his head slightly and looked at Saigo Kinosuke at hand.
"Saigo-kun, with the Shinsengumi absent, the Aizu Army and the Satsuma Army will become the main force of the expedition."
"I hope you can help Master Feizhou."
Saigo Yoshinosuke was neither humble nor arrogant. He looked at Aomori without fear or fear, with the corners of his lips slightly raised.
"This is natural, I, Satsuma, will do my best!"
"..."
Aoto took a deep look at Saigo Kinosuke, said nothing more, and turned to scan the crowd at the scene.
As of now, everyone has been arguing for a long time about whether to fight or withdraw.
The result was unexpected. Qingdeng made a decision in a few seconds and completed the deployment vigorously and resolutely...
This huge contrast stunned many people present and could not recover for a long time.
It wasn't until Qingdeng spoke up that they finally cheered up.
"Everyone, the number of troops we currently control is not that large."
"With this small force, we can simultaneously complete the two major tasks of 'conquering Changzhou' and 'liberating Changzhou'... I have to say that this is really a difficult challenge."
"But now the arrow is on the string and I have to shoot it!"
"I believe you will triumphantly!"
"After I leave the camp, I will rely on Mr. Feizhou for everything!"
"If there are people who hold you back, don't blame me, the benevolent king, for settling the score!"
After giving a simple lecture, Qingden turned his eyes and looked at the generals wearing light green feathers.
"The Shinsengumi!"
In an instant, Hijikata Toshizo and others stood up immediately!
"Let's set off immediately! Return to the capital!"
When Hijikata Toisan heard this, he grinned:
"Returning from the 'Chinese region' to the 'Gyeonggi'... Ha, what a coincidence, the 'China Return' is happening again!"
…
…
Japan's "Chinese region" mainly refers to the western part of Honshu Oshima, including Harima, Mimasaku, Bizen, Binchu, Bingo, Aki, Shubo, Nagato, Tanba, Tango, Tajima, Inaba, Hoki,
Izumo, Iwami and Oki, a total of sixteen countries.
The "Great Return of China" was a famous event in Japan's Warring States Period.
On June 2, the tenth year of Tensho (1582), the Honnoji Temple Incident broke out. Mitsuhide Akechi rebelled and killed the master, Oda Nobunaga.
From the night of June 3rd to the early morning of June 4th, when Hashiba Hideyoshi - the future Toyotomi Hideyoshi - who was in China and fighting with the Mori family, learned that Oda Nobunaga was killed, he immediately blocked the news and pretended that nothing happened.
, used a high-pressure attitude to intimidate the Maori family, and finally succeeded in signing a peace treaty on favorable terms.
After the peace treaty was signed, Hideyoshi Hashiba quickly launched a retreat and led an army of 20,000 back to Gyeonggi.
He ordered the sergeants to be in good order during the day, with the flags in order, and at night to gather the flags and run with all their strength.
This unprecedented scale of retreat is known in history as "China's Great Return."
The "China Great Return" took 8 to 10 days.
It is about 200 kilometers from the starting point of Takamatsu Castle to the ending point of Yamazaki, with an average daily march of 20-25 kilometers.
An army of 20,000 people marched 20-25 kilometers a day on backward road conditions... In the feudal era, this was really an incredible achievement! It is not an exaggeration to call it a miracle in Japan's ancient military history.
In the end, the Hashiba Army's rapid march seized the battlefield opportunity, successfully defeated the Akechi Army in the battle of Tennoyama, avenged Oda Nobunaga, and accumulated political capital that was superior to the others.
It is no exaggeration to say that the "Great Return of China" was the starting point for Hashiba Hideyoshi to replace Oda Nobunaga as the overlord of Japan and establish the Toyotomi Taikaku.
The world must have never imagined that after nearly three hundred years, the "Great Return of China" would be staged again!
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Can anyone guess where the decisive battle between the Shinsengumi and the Choshu Army will take place? Those who are familiar with the history of Japan’s Warring States Period should have no trouble guessing~