Chapter 914 Gathering in Sekihara! Battle between coaches! 【6500】
Whenever it is mentioned that "the eighth prince and a thousand people are united", people will always praise him for his simplicity and loyalty.
"Excellent combat power", "more reliable than the 80,000-horse cavalry" and so on.
But in fact, even if they are blown to the sky, it will not change the fact that they are a militia armed with half peasants and half soldiers.
They have not fought a war since their inception.
The purpose of the first shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu's formation of the Thousand People Together was to deal with the Toyotomi family and prevent Toyotomi's army from advancing eastward.
Although Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the Komaki-Nagakute Battle (1584), the size gap between the two sides was too large, and the tactical victory could not cover up the strategic decline.
At that time, the Toyotomi family was really at its peak. Anyone who was caught would be beaten. Even someone as powerful as Tokugawa Ieyasu had to give in.
As a last resort, he could only surrender and submit to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Since then, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu have become a pair of textbook-level "superficial brothers".
With a smile on his face, he secretly wanted to stab the other person.
In order to weaken the power of the Tokugawa family, Toyotomi Hideyoshi forcibly changed Tokugawa Ieyasu's territory and moved it from Tokaido to Kanto.
At that time, the Kanto Plain was full of swamps, extremely poor, and with the remnants of the Hojo Party inside and the Toyotomi family's vassal lords outside, it was a good place to trap the Tokugawa family.
Tokugawa Ieyasu did not surrender, and one of his countermeasures was to establish the Hachioji Thousand People Unity.
Although the Kanto Plain is a vast plain with huge economic potential, from a military point of view, it is unsafe and undefended, and the national defense pressure is huge - this is one of the important reasons why Toyotomi Hideyoshi moved Tokugawa Ieyasu to Kanto.
In this case, manpower can only be used to make up for the shortcomings of geographical location.
Thus, Thousands of People with One Mind came into being.
Directly forming a demobilized army would easily irritate the Toyotomi family and cause troublesome disputes. Moreover, the Tokugawa family did not have the extra financial resources at that time, so they settled for the next best thing and established a militia that was half soldiers and half farmers.
Thousands of people were deployed together at the junction of Kai Kingdom and Kanto (Hachioji). At first glance, they were used to prevent Toyotomi's army from advancing eastward.
There is no need to elaborate on the subsequent historical trends.
The Tokugawa family attacked and destroyed the Toyotomi family, and the country changed hands.
Until the day when the Toyotomi family fell, thousands of people worked together and did not confront the Toyotomi army.
Judging from the results, Tokugawa Ieyasu's formation of Thousand People Together is regarded as the formation of Loneliness.
After Tokugawa Ieyasu came to rule the world, there was no force in the world that could threaten his status.
In this way, the meaning of the existence of thousands of people becoming united becomes subtle and dispensable.
However, Tokugawa Ieyasu did not cancel the establishment of a thousand men because of this, and this special army has been preserved.
The descendants of thousands of people are all proud of their bounden duty of "defending the country's borders".
Under the influence of this sense of superiority, they usually opened their mouths to "serve the shogunate with loyalty" but kept silent "to destroy the shogunate thieves".
Each and every one of them behaved like loyal ministers and good generals, with the heroic spirit of "if the shogunate is in trouble, even if they sell their mothers, wives, and daughters, they will go into battle to kill the enemy."
However... at this moment, with the news that "the Changzhou Army is coming", it once again proves the eternal truth: "When the tide recedes, you will know who is swimming naked."
These guys who were usually "loyal and brave" have now changed their faces.
There are those who advocate "vigorous fighting".
There are people who threaten to "retreat".
What's more, they sneaked home without even saying hello, ready to pack up their belongings and run away.
When there is peace and quiet, everyone is a brave warrior who actively participates in military training.
But when it came time to go to the battlefield... everyone showed their true colors.
It is clear at a glance who is the warrior and who is the idiot.
This is different from talking nonsense. Once on the battlefield, people will really die...!
When those idiots think of this, they no longer have the courage to continue playing the role of "loyal ministers and good generals".
Elodie stood quietly, watching all this with an expressionless face.
These noisy and chaotic scenes are all within his sight.
Kui Shimada and other team members guarded her closely, guarding against anyone else approaching her.
Looking at the villagers who were getting noisier and more violent, Shimada Kui couldn't help but smile bitterly.
He could see at a glance: Thousands of people are in urgent need of a person with high prestige and sufficient ability to inspire and lead them!
Although the "fighting faction" and the "evacuation faction" were quarreling fiercely, in fact, the vast majority of the villagers were simply panicked and didn't know what to do now. They neither advocated fighting nor advocated withdrawal. Just plain confused.
If a strong person were to lead them, not only would they "immediately transform into tigers and wolves", they would at least be determined to fight.
On the contrary... if this depressing atmosphere of "escape is justified, disobedience is not guilty" continues to permeate, under the influence of the "herd effect", the villagers will probably scatter...
Thousands of people with one mind naturally have a unified head, that is, one thousand people with one mind.
However...Qingdeng, who is the leader of Thousands of People with One Heart, is now far away, and there is nothing he can do to control Thousands of People with One Heart.
Shimada Kui naturally didn't want to see the situation continue to be chaotic like this. He was secretly anxious, but he was helpless.
After a while, he simply gritted his teeth and thought to himself as if he was giving up on himself:
——Forget it! This matter is not my business! I have only one task now, and that is to protect the head of the room!
From just now, he has been urging Elodie to leave this place as soon as possible.
These guys were really arguing, and God knows if they would do anything drastic next.
Once Elodie is involved, injured or has a more serious accident, then he, the "captain of the bodyguard", will be the one to blame!
However, no matter how much he tried to persuade her, Elodie turned a deaf ear.
Then, he heard Elodie's three "Quiet" sounds.
Then...he saw the knife she suddenly struck!
Although Elodie is a purely civil servant, as Qingden's apprentice and swordsmanship enthusiast, she has always maintained the habit of wearing a sword.
Qingdeng's preference for his apprentice was obvious to all.
He put a lot of thought into giving Elodie a good knife that would fit her hand.
After asking around for sword dealers, he finally found this sword of excellent quality—Yamato Moritai!
Yamato and stability - one of the fifty things to do well.
The four levels of "The Greatest Property", "Great Property", "Good Property", and "Business" are divided according to the sharpness.
A sword that can cut through 50% to 60% of the thickness of a human body is considered a good asset.
Since it can be listed as a good karma, it goes without saying that the sharpness of Yamato Moritai is needless to say.
It is not difficult to split a tree trunk with a good thing in hand - provided that your knife has a straight tendon and sufficient strength.
Elodie did not draw the sword with both hands, but suddenly drew the sword with her right hand with one hand! Then she slashed with a cassock slash, hitting the tree trunk next to her!
The next moment, a long and deep smooth cut was cut diagonally on the tree trunk!
Swinging the sword with one hand, he can actually chop out such a straight tendon with such fierce force...
Such a sharp sword even Shimada Kui, who was extremely skilled in swordsmanship, couldn't help but be stunned.
Although Elodie has been a member of the Shinsengumi for a while, she rarely draws her sword in front of others.
Most of the members of the Shinsengumi have little idea of her true strength.
All I know is that she is Niou's only apprentice, and it is said that her swordsmanship is good - that's all.
It was only at this moment that Shimada Kuai finally saw Elodie's swordsmanship with his own eyes.
He looked at the huge cut on the tree trunk, and then looked at Elodie beside him, and he was shocked: This little girl looks like she has thin arms and legs, but she is also an unrecognizable person!
Elodie's sudden draw of the sword, followed by a huge slashing sound, instantly attracted the attention of everyone present.
In an instant, everyone, no matter who was fighting or retreating, turned their heads and looked at Elodie in confusion and surprise.
Elodie scanned the whole place, looked at the villagers who had finally calmed down, and let out a sigh of relief.
"Everyone, what are you arguing about?"
As she spoke, she lowered her eyelids with a sharp gleam in her eyes.
"Who are you?"
"You are the 'Eighth Prince, Thousands of People with One Heart', aren't you?"
"Ever since two hundred and eighty years ago, you have had only one responsibility, and that is, 'when a foreign enemy invades Kanto from the west, transform into a barrier and bravely stop the enemy', isn't it?"
At the end of her words, she suddenly raised her voice with such shocking momentum that everyone present fell silent.
The silence is only temporary.
After a while, someone stiffened his neck and retorted:
"But, but, this thing is too sudden! We are suddenly asked to go to the battlefield! This will kill people!"
After this man stood up, many people immediately followed and echoed.
Elodie glanced sideways at the speaker.
"'Too sudden'? What's so strange about that."
"Do you expect the enemy to send someone to notify you before they attack?"
"'Always cope with surprises' is the norm on the battlefield. There is nothing to feel wronged about!"
"As for what you said, 'This can kill people'...is there anything wrong with that?"
“Aren’t you ‘thousands of people with one heart’?”
"Isn't it what you should do to fight against the enemy?"
"The shogunate has allowed you to live in this fertile land for generations and given you so many benefits."
"Isn't this just so that you can help the shogunate when it is in trouble?"
"Or do you just want to take advantage of it and don't want to pay for it?"
"Now that the crisis is approaching, you have to pat your butt and leave?"
"Even I, a weird-looking Westerner with blond hair and blue eyes, know the word 'loyalty'."
"Can it be said that you are not even as good as a Westerner like me?"
This last sentence contains great destructive power.
As soon as these words came out, many people at the scene immediately turned red and showed expressions of indignation.
Elodie's words haven't stopped yet:
"I know many of you are scared."
"As a person who has never been on the battlefield, it would be too funny for me to talk nonsense here and say, 'It is your duty to go into battle to kill the enemy and you cannot back down.'"
"Therefore, I will hold this sword tightly and fight side by side with you!"
As soon as she said this, regardless of the villagers present, the guards beside her, headed by Shimada Kui, could no longer hold back.
Shimada Kui's expression changed drastically and he said urgently:
"Chief...!"
Elodie raised her hand first, signaling him not to say anything.
"Perhaps some of you know and some of you don't know that I, Elodie de Angoulême, am the disciple of 'Nioh' Tachibana Aoden!"
In rural areas where there is little information, this is indeed the first time many people have heard of it.
In the blink of an eye, a small commotion broke out on the scene.
Elodie ignored the commotion and continued unhurriedly:
"As the head of the Shinsengumi and the disciple of 'Nioh' Tachibana Aoden, how can I be a coward who runs away from the battlefield?"
"I want to fulfill my duty! Stop the Changzhou Army at all costs!"
"It is true that with our combat power, it is extremely difficult to defeat this menacing Changzhou Army."
"But we don't have to defeat each other!"
"Everyone, there is one thing I can promise you."
"At this very moment, Master...General Tachibana must be sending troops at full speed to come to our aid!"
"I would like to ask you all, if General Tachibana were here, would you still be afraid of the enemy force in front of you?"
"As long as General Orange comes, Changzhou will be nothing more than a local chicken and a dog!"
"Therefore, we just need to hold on until General Tachibana arrives!"
"If you dare, pick up your weapons and fight with me!"
"Those who feel that they are not even as good as a Western girl, please do what you want!"
Elodie finished.
Although her speech was not an impassioned speech, it was more heart-wrenching than every word.
Especially the last sentence, "Those who feel that they are not even as good as a Western girl, please do it yourself" made many people at the scene blush.
For a long time, the local villagers have always regarded themselves as "half samurai" because they are descendants of thousands of people.
As a Westerner...and a Western girl, I am not afraid of war or death. If I shrink back, am I still a human being?
Not long after Elodie finished speaking, someone stood up and said loudly:
"Damn it! Why are you still hesitating? This little girl is right! We are descendants of thousands of people with one heart! Everyone can escape, but we can't!"
This sentence is like a spark falling into a gasoline barrel.
Suddenly, the whole place was extremely excited!
"Fight with the Changzhou people!"
"Let the people of Changzhou see the loyalty and bravery of thousands of us!"
"Our ancestors made an agreement with Tosho Daigongen to protect Kanto! Now, it's our turn to fulfill our promise!"
[Note: The Great Power of Tosho appears: Tokugawa Ieyasu’s divine title.]
There are more and more responders.
The atmosphere in the air has fundamentally changed, and excitement has completely replaced depression.
Those who were at a loss were all affected by this atmosphere. They stood up one after another, waved their fists vigorously, and vowed to join the battle.
Shimada Kui blinked and looked at all this in a daze, his eyes flashing with surprise.
Although he was not a good speaker, he saw another great thing about Elodie's speech just now - she clearly explained what the current task was.
Just hold on until Qingdeng comes to help!
Although everyone finds this task difficult, they do not think it is impossible.
With a clear and achievable goal, rather than a broad "to meet the enemy", it will naturally be easier to gather people's hearts!
"Shimada-kun."
The sudden call made Shimada Kui startled.
In the next breath, he responded hurriedly:
"I am here!"
Elodie turned her head to the side, looked at him, and said solemnly:
"Shimada-kun, you are the only one among us who has rich combat experience."
"So, I'll ask you to work harder next."
"Please!"
Looking at Elodie with a sincere expression, Shimada Kui was stunned for only a moment and then said loudly and energetically:
"Chief, you are serious! I am also a member of the Shinsengumi! I will also fulfill my duties!"
…
…
Time returns to the present——
After walking through the vast unknown forest, Hijikata Suisan suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment.
In front of us is an endless plain with green grass.
"Deputy Commander! There! Our main force is right there!"
Hijikata Toisan followed the sound and saw many figures shaking diagonally on the horizon diagonally.
He immediately turned his horse's head and ran straight over.
After getting closer, he gradually saw clearly what these figures were doing - they were digging trenches.
He raised the hoe high and then swung it down hard.
"Clang" and "chacha" sounds of digging came one after another.
Among these people who were working hard to dig trenches, Toshizo Hijikata discovered two old acquaintances - none other than the room chief Elodie and the first team deputy captain Kui Shimada!
I saw Shimada Kui taking off his upper body clothes, revealing his strong upper body, and personally demonstrating to everyone the correct method of digging trenches.
"Listen up! The so-called trench is a passage used to protect oneself during combat, slow down the enemy's attack speed, and facilitate the movement of troops! It is both a 'city wall' and a 'corridor'! Keep this in mind! It is not just digging
A ditch will do the trick!"
His appearance was just like that of Tokugawa Ieyasu under Osaka Castle.
According to legend, when Tokugawa Ieyasu launched the Osaka Winter Battle (1614) and prepared to destroy the Toyotomi family in one fell swoop, because 14 years had passed since the last great war, the Sekigahara War (1600), the veterans retired and withered away.
, so there are only some new recruits left in the army who can't even dig trenches.
Seeing this, Tokugawa Ieyasu felt helpless.
This old man in his seventies ignored his declining health, picked up a shovel, and personally demonstrated the correct method of digging trenches to the new recruits, which became a legend.
The reason why Shimada Kui was promoted to the deputy captain of the first team was not purely based on his bravery.
As a veteran who followed Aoto through the Iga War (quelling the Ise civil uprising), Yamato War (to destroy the Tenchu Group), Kyoto Summer Formation and other battles, he has seen pigs running away even if he has never eaten pork.
.
Every time there was a war, how Aoto dug trenches, built fortifications, and laid out camps was deeply witnessed by Kui Shimada and firmly remembered in his heart.
Although he did not dare to call himself a "master tactician", he was still able to teach these guys who had never experienced war how to dig trenches.
Elodie stood next to Shimada Kui, carefully swinging the hoe to loosen the soil.
In order to facilitate movement, she tied her sleeves tightly with cuffs, tied up her long hair with a thin rope, and tied a high ponytail behind her head.
It is easy to see from her movements that she must not have had much contact with a hoe before.
However, she just relied on her extraordinary physical strength and arm strength to swing the hoe like a tiger.
When it comes to efficiency, she is no worse than the people around her who have spent their entire lives touching hoes.
The high ponytail behind her head swayed with her movements.
After a while, the rapid sound of hoofbeats reached their ears.
They all put down their work and looked up - against the blue sky and green land, the sincerity flag in Hijikata Toisho's hand looked particularly dazzling.
Shimada Kui opened his eyes instantly, with a look of disbelief on his face.
After confirming that he was not dazzled, he shouted with uncontrollable excitement:
"Chief, look! Look who's coming!"
He was so happy that he almost jumped up.
After a while, Hijikata Tosei tightened the reins in his hands, stopped the horse, and stopped steadily in front of Elodie and others.
Most of the people present did not know Hijikata Toshizo.
However, looking at his heroic appearance in strange clothes (suit, leather boots, long trench coat) and holding a Cheng flag, they instinctively felt that this man was a big shot.
Someone bravely stepped forward and asked:
"Come, who is coming?"
Hijikata Tossan smiled and held his head high:
"Deputy Chief of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata Toshizo!"
"Sorry, I'm late."
"Although I'm late, I'm here to meet you!"
…
…
Nobi Plain, Sekigahara——
"Ga! Ga! Ga! Ga! Ga! Ga! Ga!"
A crow chirped across the sky, climbed over several mountains, and then flew over an inconspicuous plain.
This plain is by no means vast.
Standing anywhere on this plain and looking in any direction, your view will be blocked by towering mountains.
This basin is 4 kilometers from east to west and 2 kilometers from north to south, surrounded by Mount Ibuki to the north, Mount Sasao and Tenman to the west, Mount Matsuo to the southwest, and Mount Nangong to the southeast. It is the key to dividing Japan into two -
—Sekigahara!
"Moo moo moo...!"
The radish was digging the soil with its hooves and making a sound like an engine. It looked very happy.
"..."
Qingdeng sat silently on his back, looking at Nangong Mountain in the distance.
At this moment, one man and one cow stood on the top of Tianman Mountain, letting the mountain wind blow.
Although Seito ordered Harada Sanosuke to lead the cavalry to Sekigahara as quickly as possible to seize favorable terrain.
But...it's a pity that the Changzhou Army, which is currently cooperating with the Fanzhu Party, is really not easy to deal with!
When Harada Sanosuke led his team to Sekigahara, the Ichimonji three-star flag representing the Choshu Mori family had been planted on the top of Mount Nangong to the east!
Fortunately, Mount Sasao, Mount Tenman to the west, and Mount Matsuo to the southwest are still "unclaimed lands".
Harada Sanosuke immediately occupied these three mountains and finally prevented the battle from falling into the worst situation before it even started.
We have Mount Sasao, Mount Tenman and Mount Matsuo, but we have lost Mount Nangong... Such a start is neither "auspicious" nor "unfortunate", but generally considered "even".
After receiving Harada Sanosuke's report, Seito happened to finish handling all the government affairs and military affairs at hand, and clearly explained everything that should be explained.
So, he immediately led some of the sergeants who had completed their rest and officially set off for Sekigahara!
Today, he successfully arrived at this uniquely chosen battlefield.
At this moment, Qingden, who was climbing high and looking into the distance, could easily overlook the entire Sekigahara.
He had a panoramic view of Nangong Mountain opposite.
With his extraordinary eyesight, he could vaguely see figures walking through the mountains and forests of Nangong Mountain. They must be the sergeants of the Changzhou Army setting up defense lines and building fortresses.
"..."
After staring straight at Nangong Mountain for a while, he quickly rolled his eyes and looked left and right.
Sometimes I looked at Mt. Ibuki to the north, and sometimes I glanced at Mt. Matsuo to the southwest.
He was not admiring the scenery, but putting the terrain of Sekigahara into his mind, and then building a "virtual army" in his mind, constantly changing formations and tactics on the also virtual Sekigahara battlefield.
A heroic war!
Coincidentally, at the same time, the general and military advisor of the opposite army were doing the same thing.
Takasugi Shinsaku stood at the highest point of Nangong Mountain, looking around and observing, keeping in mind the topography of Sekigahara.
Suddenly, he asked a short, unattractive guy next to him:
"Omura-kun, what do you think?"
The ugly man who was called "Omura-kun" said calmly:
"My blood is boiling right now. It's so satisfying to be able to fight against the famous Shinsengumi on such a great battlefield."
Takasugi Shinsaku grinned:
"Feel the same!"
Although the battle is still brewing, the battle between the coaches has already begun!
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PS: Some book friends asked me if this book is almost finished, but it’s not finished yet! The story of Nioh is still very long, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to end no matter how you look at it.