Hijikata's shot on the outskirts of Yodojo was fortunate not to hit any vital places, and it did not hurt important parts such as bones or tendons.

However, Yamazaki was not so lucky, and from that day on he had to stay in bed to recuperate, all the way by car.

There were also quite a few wounded. After leaving Kyoto, there were several skirmishes along the way, and four more soldiers were killed.

As the losing side, the team is undoubtedly demoralized. It can be seen that in addition to trying his best to cheer up everyone's feelings, Hijikata also pinned his hopes on Osaka Castle, where the shogun was located. Since the shogun had led the main forces of Aizu and Kuwana to safely withdraw to Osaka Castle, and Osaka had long been a loyal territory of the shogun, it was supposed that there would be higher morale, better conditions, and a stronger army fighting there.

There is no reason to fail in Osaka. That's what many people hope for.

However, when Hijikata led the Shinsengumi into Osaka Castle, the only ones who were waiting for them there were Kondo, the head of the Shinsengumi who had just been promoted to shogunate shortly before the outbreak of the war, and Okita, who was recuperating in Osaka with Kondo.

Kondo smiled awkwardly at Hijikata, who was stunned at first and then furious because he suddenly realized some terrible reality.

"The Shogun has withdrawn to Edo with him...... Aizu," he said, a little in the way.

In an instant, almost all the Shinsengumi cadres who were still in the hall exploded. Of course, Yamanan and Saito, who have always been calm, were not among them, but they only showed a slightly stunned expression.

Liu Quan was startled for a moment, and then suddenly felt that he should not be surprised.

In the final analysis, along the way, Qingxi Gong is repeating the process of escaping. Until he retreated to Edo's lair and had no way to retreat, he came directly to a bloodless castle. Later generations seem to have a good story of his pity for the common people, but isn't this a sign of cowardice and weakness?

In the past, when the new shogun was appointed, the Hitotsubashi faction praised Hitotsubashi Keijo, who was said to be "quite similar to Ieyasuko", but that's it. He is not even as young as Tokugawa Ieshige, who is not very outstanding in terms of ability and experience, but he is working very hard to support the Tokugawa shogunate, which is about to collapse.

Liu Quan thought so. However, even if you know this qiē, it is useless now.

No, it's better to say that it couldn't have been useful in the first place. Knowing the outcome in advance will only add to the pain in your heart and make your nerves stronger because you are mentally prepared in advance. Even if he has made his own efforts and arrangements for the tragedy that is about to happen, the final result may still be like the original change of the oil path, which will not be able to recover the serious injury of Heisuke, and he has to drink the water and become a rakshasa.

...... From now on, things will only get worse. So you have to make yourself stronger from now on.

She didn't have the ability to reverse the end of the shogunate, but to prevent Hijikata's death...... She thought she still had a chance.

As long as you keep following that person's side, you will always find an opportunity.

But the crisis they face right now is—

Ryuzumi heard Kondo speak in a tone that seemed to have a toothache again.

"The Shogun said that he could not become the second of the Ashikaga clan. ”

Ashikaga Takashi ...... Who is this?!This kind of knowledge is completely out of the scope of the exam, right?!

Fortunately, Xiao Yi's words like talking to himself rescued Liu Quan, a historical blindness, in time.

"Ashikaga Sonji...... Is it a general from the Muromachi period? The one who shot at Nishiki no Michi?"

Kondo's jaw.

"Exactly. Because of the Ashikaga clan's attack on the Nishiki Imperial Banner, the Muromachi Shogunate was engraved with the name of a traitor until its end. The general said that he could not afford this reputation and did not want to carry it. So ......"

Shinpachi said irritably, "...... But if he continues to retreat like this, those guys who are the chief of the sa will force him to abdicate! If he loses his position as a general, what does it matter if he has no reputation!? Aren't those guys of the chief of the sa now pressing the title of traitor on the head of the general?!"

Harada had to come out to stop Shinpachi's big truth.

"New Eight...... Even if this is true, you can't be so disrespectful to the general!"

...... He might as well not talk about it. It's like a miracle mending knife. Liu Quan thought helplessly.

Shinba shouted as if he was not convinced.

“...... If that's not the case, then how can you explain what happened to the Yodo Domain and the Tsu Domain?!"

Suddenly, a voice rang out outside the door.

"Tsu Domain...... What's wrong with the Tsu Domain?!"

With this crisp young man's voice, someone rushed in in a hurry.

The two leaders of the Rakshasa team have finally arrived. Heisuke Fujido still took the lead and broke into the hall. The former head of the Shinsengumi, Keisuke Yamanan, followed behind him, his handsome face tightened, and his expression looked very solemn.

Liu Quan, a crowd who doesn't know the truth: ......?!

It is true that after they evacuated Fushimi, the Tsu Domain, which was a friendly army during the battle of Yodogawa, did turn against the Shogunate Army in an inauthentic manner, and the Tokugawa family's friendship boat capsized, but with the bad example of the Yodo Domain in front of them, the defection of the Tsu Domain was not so shocking that it was unbelievable - so what happened to Heisuke? Was it aimed at a specific target? Or was it just an overreaction?!

Heisuke was still so straightforward, and as soon as he entered the door, he rushed straight in front of Shinpachi, shouting in a loud voice, "What's wrong with Tsu Domain?!What's going on?!"

However, Shinpachi's reaction was a bit strange. He glanced at Heisuke, as if he wanted to say something, but for some reason he forced himself to hold back, pressing his left hand on the hilt of the knife at his waist, and unnaturally forcibly turning his gaze in a different direction.

Heisuke was about to shout again, and Koichi on the side probably couldn't see his actions of shouting and disturbing the atmosphere when everyone was having a strict meeting, and in order to prevent Heisuke from continuing to shout, he said calmly in an objective tone of narrating the facts: "The Tsu clan army guarding the Yamazaki Gate has temporarily defected. They fired artillery at the flank of the shogunate across the Yodo River...... It is said that it was ordered by the lord of the domain, Lord Fujido Takayu, himself. ”

Fujido ...... Gao You?!

This peace suke has the same surname, which immediately inspires Yanagizumi's hidden radar antenna. The alarm bells went off in her head.

Heisuke looked stunned, but after a moment of shock, he began to become angry again.

"No...... How could it be!?Somewhere, something must have gone wrong?!Tsu Domain...... Isn't the Tsu clan loyal to the general?!"

Shinpachi, who had been holding his breath since he was accidentally shelled by the army of the Tsu Domain、Finally couldn't bear it anymore, suddenly broke out.。

"How could it be?! I watched with my own eyes as the Tsu domain on the other side of the Yodo River fired at us! First the Yodo Domain, then the Tsu Domain...... In order to cover up their cowardice, this group of people who are greedy for life and afraid of death use the pennants and swords issued by His Majesty Xià who was deceived by the chief of Sa as an excuse! In order to steal their lives and keep their own glory and wealth, where can they care about any loyalty and righteousness!!"

Heisuke stood there, dumbfounded.

Suddenly, as soon as he tilted his head, he erupted into a high-pitched, contradictory and incomprehensible scream of pain.

"Ah——!!!h

Then he rushed out of the hall with his head down and as if venting.

Everyone in the hall was amazed. Harada reacted the fastest, and immediately shouted in the direction where Heisuke was running, "Heisuke!?Hey Heisuke!!Where are you going?!"

Heisuke, of course, won't answer him. He quickly glanced at Kondo and Hijikata standing in the hall, hurriedly said, "I'm going to catch up with him!", then turned around and ran out with Heisuke.

Liu Quan, a member of the public who doesn't know the truth: What the hell is going on?!

Shannan, who was standing next to Kondo, glanced at the Shinsengumi cadres standing across from him.

"The Yodo Domain, as a pedigree daimyō, has such a relationship with the Tsu Domain...... Neither of the two feudal clans that should be relied upon can be trusted, and we are facing an extremely unfavorable situation. He said aloud.

Kondo sighed.

"I had hoped to lead the Shinsengumi to defend Osaka and wait for the 20,000 elite soldiers stationed in Edo to come to our aid, so that we have a good chance of regaining victory......

His face, which had been slightly embarrassed to defend his respected general, sank completely, a little gloomy.

“...... However, I heard that the Shogun does not plan to send any troops to Osaka again. ”

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall fell into a brief dead silence.

After a moment, Hijikata said to himself, "...... In other words, the Shogun has completely abandoned Osaka...... Is it. ”

Shinpachi was equally indignant.

"Give up Kyoto today, Toba and Fushimi tomorrow, and Osaka the day after tomorrow...... It won't be long before the Shogun will abandon Edo!"

"Nagakura-kun!!" Kondo shouted.

"No...... What kind of place is Edo...... How can you give up lightly!!" Kondo, a good old man, was so loud at the moment, "Will you give up your home lightly?!"

Shinpachi mumbled unconvinced and stopped talking.

Shannan, who finally entered the hall, seemed to be trying to calm things down, and said in a muddy-like tone: "Well, now is not the time to argue...... What you have to consider is whether the general has already decided to back down in front of His Majesty...... I have just heard that the Imperial Court has issued the 'Celebration Order', which means that even the army under the command of the Shogun shall not act arbitrarily according to the Emperor's order, and all the people and others have the responsibility and obligation to pursue the Shogun......"

There was a dead silence in the hall, no one spoke, and everyone seemed to be so shocked by this cruel reality that they could not say anything, except for the cold winter wind blowing mercilessly, and Osaka Castle seemed to be empty in an instant.

After a long dead silence, Hijikata gritted his teeth and spoke.

"Really...... As early as the time of the Fushimi War, didn't the imperial court declare the shogunate an 'enemy of the court' and ordered a crusade......"

Kondo's eyes lowered slightly, and there seemed to be a kind of distress and disbelief on his face.

"We ...... Isn't it this new selection group formed to fulfill the country's loyalty...... For hundreds of years, shouldn't all good men who want to make a career be loyal to the general...... How did we become 'enemies'—"

No one answered him.

After a long silence, Liu Quan, who thought that he should not have spoken at such a moment, had to speak.

"Mr. Kondo...... The object of reverence has always been Guan Gong's cloud chief, right? ”

This is a hidden setting in the game, and Ryuizumi was a little surprised at the time, but now it is a good time to boost everyone's low morale and dispel everyone's incomprehension of the current situation.

Kondo, Hijikata, Yamanan, and the others in the hall all looked at Yanagiquan who was standing in the corner.

"Speaking of which...... Who is the object of Guan Yun's long-term loyalty? ”

Kondo stared at her in surprise, and subconsciously replied quickly, "...... Of course it's Liu Xuande!"

Liu Quan bent his eyes slightly and smiled.

"Liu Xuande is not the emperor of the Han Dynasty, Mr. Kondo. At that time, wasn't the Son of Heaven in Xu Du, in the hands of Cao Mengde. ”

Kondo blinked as if he couldn't react at all, but Yamanan beside him was already smiling.

"I see. He said softly in the same gentle voice that he had always been accustomed to.

"I understand what Kiyohara-kun means. ”

Sometimes it's pleasant to talk to smart people, right?

Ryuzumi pursed his lips and smiled, his gaze lingering on Sannan's face for a moment, and then moving to Kondo's face.

"Mr. Kondo, at that time, all the decrees from Xu Du were signed by the Son of Heaven...... However, who knows if it only reflects Cao Mengde's will. ”

Having said that, Hijikata seems to have reacted as well. In fact, his reaction was not slow, he had only been too angry and entangled in being declared a traitor and an enemy by the imperial court and had not figured it out for a while, but by this time, the resentful anger on his face had gradually faded and had been replaced by a contemplative expression.

Kiyohara was right. He raised his eyes and looked directly at Kondo in front of him again.

"Didn't Liu Xuande face the worst situation at the beginning, if he and his loyal ministers gave up immediately, where would the story of the Three Kingdoms be handed down now. ”

"Even after his death, weren't those loyal ministers seriously pushing his mediocre son on. It doesn't matter at all whether the general is qualified to compare with Xuande Gong, and whether he is worthy of being assisted by us like Guan Yunchang and Xuande Gong. The point is whether we have the determination and ability to be a loyal servant like Guan Yunchang, isn't it. ”

A genuine smile came up from within, and Ryuzumi stood in the corner, watching Hijikata's face become determined again.

As long as he pulls himself up...... As long as he still has supreme determination and will, he can push the Shinsengumi and Kondo-san to continue to move forward. Because he's the actual brain and soul of the Shinsengumi.,It's the deputy chief of the famous ghost.。

Shannan smiled meaningfully and reminded, "...... The Navy's two warships, Mt. Fuji Maru and Shun Dong Maru, are still docked in port. I heard that it is now the vice president of the Navy, Takehiro Enomoto, who is in charge of the aftermath of the evacuation of Osaka. ”

Hijikata said categorically, "I'll go and negotiate with Enomoto-kun and ask him to allow us to go to Edo with the two ships of the navy." There, we will definitely be able to regroup and fight again. ”

For the first time after entering Osaka Castle, the cadres in the hall cheered up and replied with confidence, "Yes!"