Kyoto, January 1, 1868.

The Liberation Army temporarily adopted the Western calendar, and the new government called for it to be replaced by a chronological method. Although it is claimed to be January 1st, it is also the beginning of the new year. But this kind of commemorative day cannot be compared with the Spring Festival in the eyes of Chinese. At this time, Japan was far from the time when it was fully westernized in history, and they did not feel much about this day.

At the residence of Katsu Haizhou in Kyoto, Katsu Haizhou, Zhou Xinhua, deputy captain of the guard team of the Chinese Embassy in Japan, and several big leaders of the Shinsengumi held a meeting together. Sheng Haizhou took good care of the Chinese guests, and everyone sat cross-legged on the mat instead of the formal kneeling style of the Japanese one, which made the Chinese representative Zhou Xinhua breathe a long sigh of relief.

"If you can't be disciplined, we will refuse to fight with you." Zhou Xinhua stared at Kondo's eyes and said word by word.

Katsu Kaishu, who was the nominal convener of the meeting, looked a little nervous, the director of the Shinsengumi Isamu Kondo had a hungry wolf-like glint in his eyes, and the Hijikata Suizo behind him was also murderous. In such an almost tense situation, Okita Soji's occasional coughing became the most soothing sound in the world.

Zhou Xinhua was not bluffed by the Shinsengumi in terms of momentum, and the Liberation Army had a 400-man embassy guard in Japan, but in fact, they were engaged in military exchanges. In dozens of military exercises with the Shinsengumi and the Mikai group, as well as with the shogunate army, the shogunate only won a few victories at the beginning.

To silence Kondo, Zhou Xinhua knew that he had suppressed the lawless guys of the Shinsengumi, and he continued to say in a deep voice: "The monarchs are strong in martial arts, and they face the enemy one by one in close combat. But you still can't withstand the cannons, and you can't withstand the rifle fire. If you want to fully exploit your superior melee combat ability, you must strictly obey battlefield discipline and obey military commands. I knew that the Shinsengumi had their own philosophy, and as a soldier, I couldn't accept that military discipline should be ignored just because of my so-called philosophy or aspirations. ”

Isamu Kondo finally spoke, "Are you sure you can get us in melee combat?" There was a strong obsession in his voice, which was absolute trust in himself, and a desire to kill as much as he could on the battlefield.

Zhou Xinhua could only frown in his heart. The Shinsengumi have a high opinion of themselves, and if they frown openly, they hold a grudge. But the hand-to-hand combat of the Shinsengumi is really good, especially after cooperating with the Japanese knife provided by the Chinese side, cutting people is really like chopping melons and vegetables, and it can be done with one knife and two cuts.

Zhou Xinhua said calmly: "If you are willing to obey discipline completely, you can enter close combat." In other words, our firepower configuration, the battle arrangement, is designed to allow you to approach the Fallen Curtain Army and break through their array at the shortest possible distance. ”

After finishing speaking, Zhou Xinhua, who was born in the military, couldn't help but explain again: "Of course, I very much recommend that you bring a rifle, even if you don't bring a rifle, you must bring a pistol." Pistols are very useful in close combat. "The Shinsengumi are really good at using Japanese knives, but the Japanese knives have too close an attack range, and the left rifle that can attack quickly is a real weapon in close combat.

Hearing Zhou Xinhua's Jian yì, Kondo's face was rarely better. Although the Shinsengumi are extremely violent, lawless, and have strong personal ideas, they are not ignorant of good and bad people. After so many military exercises with the Liberation Army, they can certainly understand how to have a higher killing efficiency.

Looking at Isamu Kondo's expression of "seeing death as home", Zhou Xinhua couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Wei Ze, the generalissimo of the Guangfu Army, is a real master, and he is known in the army that he makes a spear unusual, and in the early days of the Guangfu Army, Wei Ze led a charge to kill the Qing army and fled in all directions. is also a personal bravery, the guys on the Japanese side have become the courage of the horseman, but Wei Ze was able to create a disciplined, tactically advanced, and well-equipped Liberation Army. The domestic evaluation of the shogunate army is not high, so Zhou Xinhua has a relatively large freedom of action, and Zhou Xinhua's evaluation of the shogunate is becoming more and more pessimistic.

The law in the Shogunate's most determined Shinsengumi bureau is as follows:

1. Do not violate bushido

1. Do not leave the organization without authorization

1. Do not privately raise funds and accept bribes

1. Litigation and mediation are not allowed without authorization

1. Don't fight privately for no reason

Anyone who violates the above provisions will be punished with a seppuku apology. The Shinsengumi believed that the five laws were equally important and therefore all of them were one. If this kind of system was put in the Liberation Army, the formulators estimated that it would have been eliminated long ago. Of course, there was a brutal purge within the Shinsengumi, which was to deal with all the guys who "saboed" the system.

Thinking of this, Zhou Xinhua only felt more and more disappointed. He simply looked at the enlightened faction in the shogunate, "Mr. Haizhou, the early stage of this battle still depends on your troops." ”

Sheng Haizhou nodded, this time he tried his best to get a mixed army. The 200 men of the Kosusu Army were responsible for artillery and command liaison, and the 600 shogunate troops that Katsukaishu was able to mobilize, plus more than 200 people from the Shinsengumi were responsible for breaking through the front line of the fallen shogunate army and entering close combat. A force of 1,000 men was not a particularly large force among the 15,000 shogunate troops. But compared to the 5,000-strong Fallen Curtain Army on the opposite side, this force had 20% of their strength. This wonder force may have a huge impact on the war.

"Then get ready for battle!" Zhou Xinhua said.

On 2 January, Zhou Xinhua specially inspected the mixed unit. The 200-strong Chinese army was attached to the 600-strong Japanese Shogunate. These 600 people are all capable young people selected by Sheng Haizhou. No matter what their origins were, they are all grassroots soldiers now. The officers in the shogunate army have to be shogunate samurai, and those guys who originally thought they were higher than the commoners became officers, and naturally there were all kinds of moths in it. In order to allow the Japanese army to learn China's latest military technology, Sheng Haizhou can be said to have exhausted all his abilities to get the 600-man establishment.

The Liberation Army received these 600 people and also received the personnel rights of these 600 people, and according to the tradition of the Liberation Army, it is natural that after various basic training, capable fellows among them are selected to serve as commanders at all levels. Of course, the prerogative of these Japanese commanders was to follow the Chinese commanders at all levels, and they were responsible for passing orders rather than giving orders themselves.

"Yamada-san, have you sent all the food?" Zhou Xinhua asked Ryuichi Yamada of logistics.

Yamada Ryuichi saluted and replied respectfully: "Zhou Sang, it's all sent down!" ”

Zhou Xinhua advised: "The battle is about to begin, we must let everyone eat more meat, otherwise we will have no strength!" ”

The steamer unloaded a large amount of supplies at one time, and China's canned rice fully supplied the Sino-Japanese mixed forces. After listening to Zhou Xinhua's advice, Yamada Ryuichi saluted again, "Please rest assured Zhou Sang, there will be no mistakes in these jobs." But we have something we want to ask Zhou Sang to agree. ”

"Oh? What's up? Zhou Xinhua asked.

It can be seen that Ryuichi Yamada mustered up enough courage to reluctantly speak, because of excitement and worry, the young man's face turned red, "The amount of food is set every day, and it must be eaten." But the soldiers were eager to save the cans and give them home. I wonder if Zhou Sang can agree? ”

For the Chinese army, as long as the transportation conditions are not particularly difficult, canned meat and canned fruit can be guaranteed. There is no shortage of cigarettes and alcohol either. There is no shortage of water in this part of Japan, and soldiers can take a bath with soap every day. For Japanese soldiers, perhaps the emperor and shogun are at such a level of enjoyment.

"You all seem to be from Edo and Aizu, right?" Zhou Xinhua asked.

"Yes!" Seeing that Zhou Xinhua might agree to this outrageous request in the eyes of Yamada Ryuichi, Yamada Ryuichi's face turned even redder because of his excitement.

Zhou Xinhua said: "In this way, we will send a boat to deliver some canned food and rice to Edo and Aizu. Your letters are also written, and we will send them with you. Let your family pick it up when the time comes. ”

Saying that, Zhou Xinhua still sympathized with the Japanese army in his heart. China already has a relatively complete military welfare law, and military families can get considerable preferential treatment, and there are condolences and things to be sent during the New Year's holidays. This is undoubtedly an important reason why young Chinese people are keen to join the military. On the Japanese side, there is no social welfare for ordinary soldiers at all, and the treatment of grassroots soldiers is equal to zero.

"Really?" Ryuichi Yamada was already in tears, and they were very uneasy when they joined this Chinese army nearly a year ago. In the Japanese army, there are already all kinds of superiors bullying subordinates, and they are afraid that they will be more ferocious and less auspicious if they fall into the hands of foreigners.

Unexpectedly, after joining the Chinese army, eating and drinking were completely guaranteed, and his personality was more respected. Although they were also beaten, the reason for the beatings was not that the officers were unhappy, but that they had really done something wrong, that their attitude in military training was not correct, or that they did not concentrate enough. Anyway, after a few sticks go down, the feeling of being hot in the ass comes up, and the person is in good spirits. As individuals, as standard Japanese people, they don't feel like they're being mistreated at all. The military salary has not been deducted, and the food is so good, they have no regrets.

Saving things from one's own mouth and giving them to one's family already requires the Chinese side to provide transportation, and according to the characteristics of the Japanese, this can be regarded as a great trouble for others. This time, the Chinese side paid out of its own pocket to provide material preferential treatment to the families of Japanese soldiers, and Yamada Ryuichi absolutely did not expect it. Unable to care about the requirements of the army anymore, Yamada Ryuichi directly followed the Japanese etiquette, knelt on the ground and bowed his head to Zhou Xinhua, and shouted with tears in his eyes: "Thank you very much!" ”

Zhou Xinhua is twenty-two years old this year, and you can tell the origin of this guy from his name. When his parents joined the Liberation Army in Anhui in 1853, this guy was only 7 years old. The name was given by the school teacher. After that, he started in elementary school, and after graduating from primary school, he entered the Guangzhou Infantry School to continue his education. After graduating with excellent grades, he went to the artillery academy for one year after two years in the army. After two years in the army again, he went to the Nanjing Army Academy for further study.

Under such an experience, Zhou Xinhua will also have a hungry time to eat a cow, but there is no hungry life. Seeing that Ryuichi Yamada was so excited, Zhou Xinhua first felt a little frightened. In the Liberation Army, it was a big deal for a soldier to kneel. At this time, Zhou Xinhua also felt a sense of pride in his heart. This is China's strength, and this is the status of Chinese soldiers. In New China, it is a matter of course that can make the Japanese kneel down excitedly and cry excitedly in Japan.

Standing there for a little bit and enjoying this kind of pride for more than ten seconds, the discipline instinct cultivated in the Liberation Army instinctively made Zhou Xinhua help Yamada Ryuichi. "Yamada-kun, you have to fight well!" Zhou Xinhua said.