“…”

About 10 seconds later, Tianzhangyuan slowly left Qingdeng's shoulders.

Lift your head lightly and your eyes are facing each other.

Because there was no light, and tonight it was a cloudy day without stars or moon, the room was pitch black.

Qingdeng is blessed with the gift of "night vision", so he can barely see the face of Tianzhangyuan.

Against the backdrop of the night, Tianzhangyuan's eyes became clear and clear. In the darkness, Tianzhangyuan's eyes shone brightly, as bright as the sun.

Unlike today's daytime, Qingdeng took the initiative to propose "going to Dajin".

Tianzhangyuan did not immediately give a definite reply, but first showed hesitation, then asked with a worried look:

"Go to Otsu... Regardless of me, will I go to Otsu together with Kazumiya?"

Tokugawa Ishiki, Tianzhangyuan and Wamiya went to Otsu together - in fact, the deep meaning of Aoden's words is "moving the capital"!

The general is in Otsu, and the ministers and officials are in Edo. How can we deal with government affairs?

Therefore, if Tokugawa Ieshima and others go to Otsu, then the Makui ministers - no, correct it. It should be said that the Makui ministers of the "Nanji School" - must also go to Otsu with them.

In other words, this move is equivalent to the major migration of the shogunate's political organs! It is a "relocation of the capital" in the practical sense.

Qing Deng instantly understood the concerns of Tianzhangyuan.

Edo is a symbol of the Edo shogunate and the center of power.

The General of the Conquering Yi took the initiative to leave Edo... If this matter was spread, it might cause immeasurable negative impact.

Qingdeng had long expected this, so he explained slowly:

"Your Highness, I understand your worries."

"But, as I said just now, Edo is no longer suitable to be the 'Capital'."

"Besides, Edo's decline is second."

“‘Defense’ is the real problem.”

"Otsu is in Gyeonggi, Edo is in Kanto, one is in the west and the other is in the east, which is too far apart."

"At this stage, I can't take into account these two cities and towns at the same time, I can only make choices from them."

"In my opinion, the 'One Bridge' is nothing more than a group of jumping clowns and is not difficult to deal with."

"They don't have much ability, so they can only jump around unscrupulously while my injury is not healed and the main force of the newly selected group is not at my hand."

"When this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity passes, they will be just a group of grasshoppers after autumn, and sooner or later they will be swept away by us."

"Our real enemy is in the west."

When Tianzhangyuan heard this, he seemed to have some enlightenment and murmured:

"Are the vassals of the Western Kingdoms..."

Qingdeng nodded gently:

“Changzhou has not yet surrendered.”

"Sama is unruly."

"Tosa, Hoshimaki is eyeing him."

"These guys are more ambitious than the other, and each one is more difficult to deal with."

"Compared with the 'Yiqiao Sect', the Western vassals led by the Satsuma clan are the real threat."

"So, I cannot disperse my power. I must deploy all my main combat forces in Gyeonggi and always beware of the Western countries."

Qing Deng said, Tianzhangyuan listened.

After the former finished speaking, the latter thought for a moment, then took a deep breath, showing a firm expression, as if he had made up some determination:

"Well, I understand. You are right. As far as the current situation is concerned, moving the capital to Otsu is indeed the best choice."

Speaking of this, his tone suddenly changed - it became a little more playful.

"I never expected that I would go to Otsu in this way. It's really better than God's calculations."

"Since that's the case, in order to go to Otsu as soon as possible, we must defeat the 'Ichiqiao Sect' as soon as possible."

A smile surged on her cheeks, which seemed to be a beam of light pouring down from the gaps of dark clouds. She smiled for a long time since the "Edo Cage Battle".

Seeing this, Qingdeng couldn't help but smile.

They looked at each other and laughed.

In an instant, a comfortable atmosphere emerged in the room.

For a moment, both of them were tacitly immersed in this rare comfort and were unwilling to break it.

It was not until a while before Tianzhangyuan opened his lips again and changed his stern tone:

"Sheng Qing, as you see, do you think we have a chance to achieve complete victory in this battle?"

Qingdeng replied without hesitation:

"There must be a chance. But-"

He stretched the end of the sentence a little, and then changed the topic before he could finish:

"Just based on the combat power we currently have, it is still quite difficult to completely defeat the 'Yiqiao Sect'."

"To be honest, we are still in danger now."

"Although the Mito army has been defeated, the 'Ichiqiao Sect' still has the dead soldiers they carefully trained, as well as the direct sects who came to participate in the war on their own initiative."

"As you can see, let me go to the front line to fight again, I am really unable to catch up."

He said, lifting his collars and showing Tianzhangyuan his chest covered with linen.

"In today's battle, we will completely exhaust the only remaining power in my body."

"I don't even have the strength to hold the knife now."

"The next battle can only rely on the bravery of the soldiers."

"If you are not careful, it may still make the 'Yiqiao Sect' turnaround."

After hearing this, Tianzhangyuan smiled bitterly:

"There is a shortage of soldiers and the combat power is short..."

Qingdeng nodded and agreed: "That's right, that's exactly what it is."

Then he asked:

"Your Highness, do we really have no other troops available?"

The bitterness on Tianzhangyuan's face became even heavier.

"If there were other troops available, I would have been transferred to your command long ago. If you need it, all the soldiers of the Xinyuting Ban will be available to you."

"It's not necessary. Let the Shin-Yu Tingfan stay behind Honmaru and defend Ichimaki."

The Xinyuting Ban is a spy agency, not a combat force specializing in fighting.

Although there are many superb people - such as Sazhong and Yae sisters - they are actually Mingzhu Pinning the Bird.

Qingdeng grabbed his hair, and a little helplessness flashed in his eyes.

Suddenly, he said to himself with regret, and the volume was so low that only he could hear clearly:

"Just come another army..."

"Just give me another thousand people... no, a force of more than five hundred people will greatly alleviate the current pressure..."

"Just give me another army..."

...

...

The next day (January 2), early morning—

The sun rises quietly in winter.

Although it was already dawn, the thick clouds that had been entrenched in the dome since last night have not dissipated, and the world is still shrouded in shadows.

Affected by the civil war, it was clearly the second day of the New Year, but there was no joy that the New Year should have.

The shops were closed, the market was depressed, and the streets were filled with cold air.

The sporadic pedestrians all looked naked, tense all their nerves, and were in a hurry, as if they were frightened. Any movement could cause them to panic.

After the civil war broke out, the town people who had just returned to Edo not long ago began to flee abroad again.

Despite the complaints, I had to do so in order to save my life.

Of course, there are also some town residents who did not leave.

Of course, these people who have not left are not afraid of military disasters, but for various reasons - such as changes in their homes, or even if they can't make up for money - they can't leave even if they want to.
To be continued...