Chapter 908 Sunfu Castle fell! The Eight Princes and thousands of people prepared for war together! 【6000】
When Sanako and Awu hurried to the outskirts of Otsu, they happened to run into a dusty team.
Rumble, rumble, rumble...
At the end of the road, amid the flying dust, the dull thunderous sound of hoofbeats gradually approached.
Looking closely, one person and one bull are sprinting ahead.
Riding a big black bull... With such distinctive features, there is no way anyone else could be there!
As if being pulled, Sanako and Awu moved their feet in unison, striding forward to meet each other.
After a while, the big black bull stopped steadily in front of the two women.
Then, a voice came from the cow's back that made the two women feel more at ease:
"Sanako, Awu, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting."
Sanako's beautiful eyes widened with disbelief on her face.
Ah Wu's reaction was even more exaggerated. She looked like she had seen a ghost, her eyes were dull, her cheeks were filled with shock, and she kept looking up and down at Qing Deng.
After a while, Sanazi asked stammeringly:
"Qingdeng, you, you are back...?"
"Huh? If I don't come back, who will appear in front of you now?"
"No, I mean, yes...why did you come back so fast?"
Regarding "how long it will take for Qingto to return", Sanako has done detailed research in private.
According to her expectation, no matter how fast Qingdeng went, it would take another 5 days to get back.
However... she never thought that she would be able to meet him again today!
Qingdeng smiled bitterly:
"How I got back is a long story."
After saying that, he stretched out his hand and caressed Carrot's neck:
"Carrot, thank you for your hard work..."
"Moo moo..."
Only then did the two girls notice Carrot's current situation.
It didn't matter, they were all frightened when they saw it.
I saw Carrot with his head drooped, his limbs trembling, white foam oozing out from the side of his mouth, sweating like rain, and big beads of sweat dripping out along his hair, but within a short time, a small amount of water accumulated under his body. beach.
You know, Carrot is a "sacred cow" with superior physical fitness. Both physical strength and explosive power are better than ordinary war horses.
The two girls had never seen this big black cow looking so tired...it was hard to imagine what it had gone through.
They slowly turned their eyes and looked towards the cavalry formation behind Qingdeng.
After a quick glance, they suddenly discovered that, comparatively speaking, Carrot was in pretty good shape!
"Xuxu...Xuxu..."
"Hey! Xiao Hui! Hold on! We have arrived in Dajin!"
"Come down! Your horse is going to fall!"
"Uu uh uh...!"
The huge cavalry team of over a thousand people, from the beginning to the end of the team, was filled with the moans, howls, and cries of pain from the horses.
In order to rush back to Otsu as quickly as possible, the "First Army" headed by Qingdeng really squeezed all the strength of their horses (oxen).
Although horses have powerful explosive power, their endurance is mediocre and they cannot run fast for a long time.
Throughout history, those cavalry teams that launched long-distance raids basically had one person and two horses, or even one person with three horses, four horses, or five horses. The riders took turns riding the horses, and when one horse was tired, he would switch to another horse.
What a pity... This kind of "rich man's game" can only be played by those "wealthy families" who have no shortage of horses - Qingdeng obviously does not belong to this category.
Most of the animal power in the expedition commander's army was used to carry baggage.
Therefore, even Qingdeng himself only has one carrot to ride.
If there is one person and one horse (ox), the animal power will be exhausted in a short time.
Even so, Qingdeng and others had no other choice but to ride hard...
Facts have proved that the Aizu Cavalry is indeed a world-famous force, and the Shinsengumi 7th and 10th divisions that Ayoto built with great effort did not disappoint him.
From the hinterland of Changzhou to Dajin, the distance was nearly 350 kilometers... They managed to finish it in only 9 days with one person and one horse (ox)! The average daily march was 39 kilometers!
To be honest, even Qingdeng couldn't help but feel horrified when faced with this astonishing result!
Although the achievements are outstanding, the price paid is also heavy!
At this moment, if you look around, almost all the horses are in a state of near coma due to extreme fatigue.
Foaming at the mouth, shaking limbs...it seemed like he would fall to the ground at any moment.
In fact, after the team stopped, many horses could no longer hold up due to the "sudden loosening of the tight strings" and kept wailing. Then they fell to the ground and could not get up again.
Not only did the mounts work hard, the riders also suffered a lot.
Anyone who has ever ridden a horse knows that the most torturous part of riding a horse is not the soreness of the lower back, but the pain in the inner thighs.
The saddle is very hard.
Repeated bumps during horseback riding will cause the inner thigh to keep rubbing against the saddle, and you will feel a pinprick-like pain after a while.
No matter how thick the cloth is, it can only provide relief.
Otherwise, why would Liu Bei burst into tears when he saw the fat on his inner thighs growing back, leaving behind the allusion of "the fat on his thighs regenerated"?
A person who often rides horses will not have fat on the inner thighs. If there is fat, it will be worn away by you.
In the past nine days, Qingdeng and others have almost lived in Anshang, with very little rest time.
In this way, on the second day of departure, many riders had blisters on their inner thighs.
Blisters are rubbed out, blisters are broken, blood bleeds out, blisters are rubbed out again... the cycle starts over and over again.
Even if the pain is excruciating, I can only grit my teeth and endure it...
After arriving at the destination...to this day, many riders' hakama were wet with blood, and even dripped out, mixing with the sweat of their mounts and dripping down together.
Looking at the exhausted and extremely embarrassed cavalry team, Sanazi bit her lower lip and turned to look at the ministers behind her.
"Quick! Call all the doctors in the town! Both human doctors and veterinarians!"
"yes!"
A courtier came forward and stretched out his hand to pull the reins of Carrot.
However, Qingdeng forced Carrot to stand aside and hid.
"There's no rush. Let's take those people and horses who are no longer alive for treatment first."
As he spoke, he turned his head and shouted to the knights:
"Anyone who can still move will follow me! Our mission is not completed yet!"
…
…
Qinjin Domain, Otsu, town——
"Huh? What's going on? Why is it so lively?"
"Don't you know, kid? His Highness Niou is back!"
"What? His Highness Niou is back? Where is he?"
"I don't know! Anyway, just follow the crowd and leave!"
"The lord is back! The lord is back!"
…
His Highness Nioh has returned with his army - this news seems to have been given a pair of wings, spreading throughout Otsu and beyond in the blink of an eye!
It is not an exaggeration to describe the current Dajin as empty streets.
For a time, both samurai and civilians put aside all matters at hand and rushed towards the same direction - the Biwahiro path in the center of Otsu.
Hirokokoji is a spacious avenue specially designed for fire prevention.
When the townspeople rushed to this place, they were surprised to find that many police officials were on guard here.
The officers stood in a row on both sides of the street, holding hardwood sticks in their hands and holding the sticks horizontally in front of them, connecting each stick end to end to form a tight wall of sticks and people, which limited the activities of the town residents.
It is limited to the streets on both sides to prevent irrelevant people from approaching the center of the street at will, and also to prevent stampedes, congestion and other vicious incidents.
In a short time, the streets on both sides of Pipaguang Path were surrounded by mountains and seas, with almost no place to stand.
Even so, there were still many people outside the street trying to squeeze in.
"Don't squeeze! There are no more empty seats in front!"
"Where is my lord? Where is my lord?"
"Hush! Listen! It's the sound of cow hooves!"
As everyone looked forward to it, a stalwart figure gradually appeared from the street corner and slowly came into their eyes.
Qingdeng was seen sitting on Carrot's back, holding a rein in one hand and holding a knife in the other, looking forward, head held high, like an awe-inspiring and inviolable god of war.
Behind him, two strong cavalrymen were carrying the "Shengji Banner" representing the Shinsengumi and the "Ringtian Ye Banner" representing the Qinjin Domain.
Two big flags fluttered in the wind and made a hunting sound.
Behind the flag is the cavalry team that is slowly advancing and closely following Qingdeng.
The cavalrymen marched six in a row, like a wall.
Although their faces are full of fatigue, no one will think that they are not powerful enough!
Under the eager and enthusiastic gaze of everyone, Qingdeng moved to the very center of the Pipaguang path and stopped.
Then, he raised his head slightly and shouted loudly:
"Everyone, I think you all know this already, right? The Choshu Army sneak attacked Nagoya Castle and Noubi fell!"
With the blessing of the talent "Cloud-Cracking Stone +3", his voice clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
"The enemy is attacking at your doorstep. You must be very uneasy, right?"
"I don't have much to say."
"From now on, you can feel at ease! No need to worry anymore!"
"You just need to eat as usual, sleep as usual, and work as usual."
"In the days to come, the sun will rise as usual! Dajin will be as peaceful as ever!"
"I will use these hands to kill all invading enemies!"
There are no gorgeous words or passionate tone.
However, it was these simple words that changed the atmosphere of the scene!
Qingdeng's long-term accumulation of fame, prestige, and invincible and fierce achievements are enough to be worth a thousand words.
The people present showed excited expressions.
Some people even flushed with uncontrollable excitement.
The moment Qingdeng finished speaking, everyone at the scene was pumping their fists and shouting despite the fact that there was no prior agreement.
Cheers like the ocean waves surrounded Qingdeng from all directions, which was amazing.
Qingdeng was not in a hurry to return home. Instead, he steeled himself and led the cavalry who could still move in a swaggering way through the streets of Dajin, just for this moment!
Let all the people of Otsu see his figure, calm the people's hearts, and fulfill the promise that Sanako made to everyone a while ago, "The lord is already leading the army to return to reinforcements."
The benevolent king is back - this alone is enough to cheer up the thousands of people of the Qinjin clan, as well as those in other places who are afraid that the Changzhou army will attack!
The panic that has been accumulating in the hearts of the people in recent days and the uneasy atmosphere sweeping the streets of Dajin seemed to have dissipated in this moment!
…
…
About half an hour later——
The offices of Qinjin Fan, Dajin, Judi, and Qingdeng——
Qingdeng swept away the food in front of him like a storm.
The crisp "ding-ding-ding" sound of chopsticks quickly touching the dishes is endless.
Although Qingden's current state cannot be said to be "possessed by a starving ghost", it is almost there.
Wrapping the rice in rice straw soaked in salt water will certainly have a preservative effect, but it will not keep it warm.
For the past nine days, I have been eating cold rice balls and drinking cold salt water every day... Although I won't starve to death, it is really uncomfortable. My mouth is very pale and my stomach is extremely short of oil and water.
After returning to Judi, he neither slept nor was in a hurry to work. Instead, he immediately sent an order to the kitchen, asking the chefs to quickly light up the fire and cook more greasy meat.
When the bowls of hot food were delivered to him, he devoured them without even caring about how hot they were.
Hunger is indeed the best seasoning.
Qingdeng has never felt that his chef's skills were so good as he did today.
To be honest, he really wanted to enjoy this delicious feast quietly and slowly by himself.
However, he knew very well: everyone else can rest, but he can't!
"Getting back to Dajin" is just his first small goal.
Trying to defeat the still rampant Changzhou Army is his ultimate goal!
Therefore, even when eating, he was not idle.
While he was trying to put food into his mouth, he listened attentively to Sanako's report - A Wu went to take care of Kuro and Ning Ning, so he was temporarily absent.
The talent [left and right fighting] is activated!
Even if two unrelated things are done at the same time, their efficiency will not be affected at all.
Sanako knelt down and sat next to him, speaking succinctly and seriously:
"Qingden, just this morning, the ninjas I sent to spy on Changzhou's movements risked their lives to send in a new report."
"It is reported that the Choshu Army looted all supplies in the city after capturing Nagoya Castle."
"After completely evacuating Nagoya Castle, they abandoned the castle, mobilized all their troops, and marched eastward!"
Hearing this, Qingdeng narrowed his eyes unconsciously, looked serious, stopped moving his hands, and even forgot to chew the food in his mouth.
The Changzhou Army marched eastward... He naturally knew what this meant.
Suddenly, he got good news and bad news.
The good news is that Qinjin is safe, and the Changzhou Army has no intention of attacking the capital.
The bad news is that their target is Edo!
It seems that they are here sincerely to eliminate the shogunate!
Sanako paused briefly to give Qingto time to digest and react.
After Qingdeng started to move the dishes again, she continued to talk to herself:
"Just yesterday afternoon, the Changshu army arrived at Junfu Castle."
"The Sunpu Castle representative of Sunpu Castle knew in advance that the Choshu Army was coming, so he made preparations for a cage battle."
Cage War - As the name suggests, it is a battle where all troops and supplies are gathered to defend the castle.
"However... it is a pity that Sunpu Castle did not survive even an hour before it fell."
"Most of the defenders were killed or injured, and Sunfu Castle has disappeared."
"Following Nagoya Castle, all the accumulation of Sunpu Castle over the past two hundred years belongs to Choshu."
Sunfu Castle is the important town of Tokai Street and the old capital of the Tokugawa family.
The Tokugawa family prospered in the Mikawa Kingdom of Tokai Street.
During the Warring States Period when warlords were divided among themselves, the Tokugawa family's base was located in Sunfu Castle.
After the Edo shogunate unified Japan, they were aware of the important strategic position and special political significance of Sunpu Castle, so they established the positions of "Sundu Castle Dai", "Sundu Kaban", and "Sundu Fixed Ban" in Sunpu Castle.
[Note: Sunfu Castle Dai: Also known as Suruga Castle Dai. He served in Sunfu Castle and was responsible for city defense and city management. He also replaced the general when he went to Kunoyama Ieyasu Temple to defeat the disastrous defeat. This position was established in the 10th year of Kanei (1633) and was headed by Lao
Central jurisdiction.]
[Note: Sunfu Kaban: Responsible for the security, repairs and government affairs in Sunfu Castle.]
【Note·Shunfu fixed title: Responsible for the defense of the outer outline of Sunfu Castle and the gate.】
The fall of Sunfu Castle - this was completely within Aishoto's expectation.
How can they stop a modern army with their ill-armed army and outdated city defense system?
The fall of Sunfu Castle meant that the Choshu Army could march straight in and move eastward along Donghai Street.
Donghai Street is a mature "highway" with flat terrain and no danger to defend.
If there are still passes in front of the Choshu Army that can be used as support, and troops that can fight...then only the Hachioji area, and the thousands of Hachioji people guarding the Hachioji area are united!
Thinking of this, Qingdeng couldn't help but sink his face and felt a chill in his heart.
The Hachioji area is the hub connecting Kanto and Kai, and is the west gate of Edo.
Once the Hachioji area is breached, there will no longer be a pass that can be used to stop the Choshu Army.
By then, the Choshu Army can attack Edo Castle in one go!
Qingdeng was deep in thought while silently picking up the food.
After a moment, he put down his rice bowl which was completely eaten, not even a grain of rice was left.
"...Sanako, you and A Wu have really worked hard during this time."
Sanako shook his head gently:
"It's nothing, we just did what we should do."
As soon as she finished speaking, she paused on her back, and a look of tiredness flashed in her eyes.
After a while, Qingdeng felt something heavy leaning on his shoulders.
"Sanako?"
He turned around and looked in surprise - he saw Sanako bending down and burying his face in his left shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Qingdeng, for making you laugh..."
As she spoke, she stretched out her hands and grasped Qingdeng's clothes tightly, as if she was afraid that he would disappear.
At the same time, she buried her face harder into Qingdeng's left shoulder, making her expression unclear.
"Recently...A Wu and I have been busy every day."
"I'm not afraid of hardships, I'm just worried that... I can't protect Ah Wu, I can't protect Jiulang, Ning Ning, I can't protect the thousands of people of Qinjin Fan."
"When I think of this, I'm so scared..."
"I don't know since when, I have been looking forward to your return every day."
"Whenever a day goes by and I don't receive news of your return, I can't help but feel anxious."
"I can't even help but think: Will you never come back..."
Having said that, Sanako tightened her shoulders, and her originally very tall body became much "petite".
Even Qingdeng, her husband, has never seen her show such a fragile side...
Qingden blinked, first showing a look of helplessness, and then turning his body seriously, so that Sanako's face changed from "buried in the hollow of his left shoulder" to "buried in the hollow of his heart."
"Sanako, can you hear my heartbeat? I'm right here."
"Whenever you need me, I will appear in front of you immediately and will never leave you without permission."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Sanako's chuckle.
In the next breath, she silently opened her arms and hugged Qingdeng's waist.
Qingdeng saw this and hugged him back silently.
Regrettably, this scene of "husband and wife embracing each other" did not last long.
Just a moment later, a female voice without sadness or joy came from the door not far away:
"Yeah, I see... I was asked to take care of Jiulang and Ningning, but I ended up having sex with Qingdeng Qingqing behind my back. What a good plan..."
Hearing this, Qingteng and Sanako hurriedly separated, then turned to look at A Wu who was "monitoring" them with a strange expression.
I saw A Wu sitting on the corridor outside the door, opening the paper sliding door to a small crack - this small crack was just enough for her to peek with one eye - this one was pressed against the crack of the door, staring straight at Qing Qing
Noboru and Sanako's eyes were as dark and deep as the abyss, without any light.
"What's wrong? Don't worry about me, you continue."
Ah Wu said this without any expression on her face, neither salty nor cold.
…
…
Afterwards, Qingdeng spent a lot of effort to successfully comfort Ah Wu.
…
…
The "Second Army", "Third Army", and "Fourth Army" led by Hijikata, Kondo, and Shannan respectively are still on the way.
In this case, there is definitely no chance of counterattacking Changzhou.
While waiting for the large troops of Hijikata Toizan and others to arrive, Aoden entered a state of taking care of everything and eating late at night.
The first thing he did was to issue an order to the eighth prince and thousands of people: immediately enter a state of combat readiness! Use all means to delay the Changshu Army!
The Hachioji area was the last bastion defending Edo.
The Shinsengumi has not yet assembled, but the Choshu Army has already captured Sunfu Castle... To be fair, if this continues, by the time the Shinsengumi catches up with the Choshu Army, Edo will be reduced to ruins!
Therefore, whether the Eight Princes and thousands of people can hold back the Changzhou Army is related to the success or failure of this battle!
While ordering thousands of Hachioji princes to prepare for resistance together, Aomori sent people to Edo to inform Tokugawa Iemo and Tenhoin of the current war situation and his current situation.
Although Sanako had previously sent envoys to Edo, out of caution, Ayoto decided to send another group of envoys to Edo to allow Tokugawa Iemo and Tenjoin to prepare early. Edo was likely to become a
battlefield!
Immediately afterwards, Qingdeng actively launched a political offensive.
History has proven countless times: sometimes, "political warfare" can play an unexpected role!
He sent envoys to the vassals in Gyeonggi and told them: I, Ju Qingden, have returned to Dajin! Be careful! Don't do such a shameless thing!
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