On the way back to Osaka, Li Chenfang couldn't help but ask Hirano Goro about the formation and training of the first and second divisions, and Hirano Goro said with disdain for these Osaka citizens: "The number of the two divisions is almost the same, but I don't think other townspeople should recruit them into the army except for lumberjacks and shipbuilders."

These townspeople were always trying to bargain over the training orders issued by the Shangguan, and insisted that we pay our salaries in advance, or settle them every day. I don't think an army of such soldiers would be able to go to war at all, and I am worried that our direct troops should pay most of their attention to these soldiers in battle, so as to prevent them from taking the lead in escaping on the battlefield. ”

Li Chenfang thought for a moment and then said, "It's not okay to go on like this, we can't go to the battlefield with an unreliable army." Sasaki-kun, Noma-kun, Mizuno-kun, do you have any good ideas? ”

The three named people were also at a loss for this question, but Mizuno Shinko quickly thought of an idea and said: "Most of the townspeople here in Osaka are mainly engaged in business, and they still attach great importance to contracts, otherwise the adults let these soldiers sign a contract so that they promise not to flee to the battlefield?" ”

After hearing this bad idea, Hirano, Sasaki and the others all subconsciously stayed away from Mizuno Shinko, they felt that the general secretary was probably dizzy, and actually pinned their hopes on the unreliable gambling curse and swearing.

However, Li Chenfang didn't immediately scold Mizuno, but thought about it for a long time, and then suddenly said with a smile: "It's good to sign the contract, Hirano, after you go back, find a few masonry, erect a few stone tablets outside the gate of Osaka City, and engrave the names of all the members of the First and Second Divisions."

After the stele was engraved, everyone swore in front of the stele that they would never leave their comrades and flee during the battle, and vowed to overthrow the tyranny of three generations of generals. The name of the stele is called, Osaka 1st and 2nd Divisions Fengtian Jingjing Monument, Mizuno-sama, you will write an article on the battle of the shogunate, and pass on the feat of our and other feats from generation to generation..."

Hirano Goro's expression did not change, but the faces of Sasaki Jiro, Junichiro Noma and Mizuno Nobuko were a little ugly, and they engraved everyone's names on the stone tablet. However, Mizuno Shingu could only agree at this time, otherwise he would not be able to pass Li Chenfang's hurdle at the moment.

Li Chenfang then continued: "If a soldier wants to pay his salary in advance, there is no problem, he will be paid half a month's salary in advance, and in the future, he will be paid half a month's salary on the first and fifteenth days of each month. The half-monthly salary of the first year of junior high school must be paid in full, but the salary paid on the 15th must depend on the soldier's performance on weekdays.

Fines were imposed on soldiers who did not obey the orders of their superiors and did not complete the required training programs. In addition, soldiers who have escaped on the battlefield are required to pay all salaries and incentives they have received since joining the army, in addition to being tried by a military court.

Also, Goro, now that we're in a state of war, there's a lot of compression for the training curriculum. For now, it's enough to let the recruits learn to reload their ammunition and follow orders to move forward and backward, and let them learn the rest in battle. ”

Naturally, Hirano Goro would not object to this order, and in his opinion, it would be more difficult to train these townspeople as soldiers than to train the savage and stubborn mountain people. At least the latter will show a high degree of obedience after getting enough food, while the former may not.

Li Chenfang then asked, "Is there any response from Sakai City?" I heard that Yuta Higuchi's deputy, Shigetsuna Inagaki, fled to Sakai City with a lot of people, are they willing to surrender? ”

Mizuno Shinko said with regret: "Inagaki Shigetsuna rejected Yuta Higuchi's request to surrender, and asked the messenger to come back to tell us that His Royal Highness Tadacho's rebellion will not succeed, and advise us to turn back as soon as possible, so as not to be destroyed with His Royal Highness Tadacho." ”

Li Chenfang frowned and said: "The size of Sakai City's port is just behind the two ports of Hyogozu and Osaka, let them occupy Sakai City, sooner or later it will become the base for the Edo army to land in Osaka Prefecture, and it will also be our Osaka henchman." Since they are unwilling to surrender, let's take them out before they have Edo's support.

The 1st Division has been formed, and it is just time to pull out and integrate the army. Combined with the defeated soldiers brought by Inagaki Shigetsuna, the defenders of Sakai City would not exceed 350 people. Just as the peasants from all over Osaka had recently asked us to drive out the samurai lands who were loyal to the shogunate, Hirano Goro and Yuta Higuchi led three wings and two six-kilo guns all the way south along Shitennoji Temple to remove the nail from Sakai City.

Junichiro Noma led the 3rd Wing to the east to the foot of Mt. Ikoma, then made a gesture of attacking Kyoto to the north, and returned to Osaka after arriving at Yodogawa. In addition, Daisuke Sanada and Ichi Hayashi of the 2nd Division each led their own wings across the Yodogawa River and swept the area north of the Yodogawa River. Within three days, the villages and towns in the area that were loyal to the shogunate were removed. I don't want the shogunate's Choshu expeditionary army to return to this area and collect food..."

After hearing this, Hirano Goro said with some concern: "My lord has sent us all out, and there are only two dissatisfied wings around him, isn't it too risky?" ”

Li Chenfang said disapprerovingly: "As long as you can complete the task in hand as soon as possible, I will be safe in Osaka City." Besides, although those volunteers were eliminated from the army, many of them have now become patrol officers, and even if a small army can storm Osaka Castle, I will have enough strength to defend the city..."

After entering the south gate of Osaka Castle, Li Chenfang suddenly seemed to remember something, and ordered everyone around him to return to deal with political affairs, while he walked into the streets of the castle town with two guards. Although there was a battle to capture the castle only two days ago, the streets of the castle town have begun to return to normal life today, and the city's self-healing ability is quite good.

Led by a guard, Li Chenfang came to a row of samurai mansions in Dongcheng District. Li Chenfang looked at the wooden door in front of him, and couldn't help but ask the guard, "Is this here?" ”

The guard who led the way replied respectfully: "Yes, this is the Ikeuchi family, and Shotaro Ikeuchi is the eldest son of the family, and the couple lives here." ”

Li Chenfang nodded at the guard and motioned for him to come forward and call the door. After a while, a woman in her early forties came out and answered the door. After learning that it was the new city lord who was outside the door, the woman suddenly panicked, and after Li Chenfang listened to the chaos inside, the courtyard door suddenly opened, and the head of the family, Ikeda Sota, stood by the door with his two sons and respectfully greeted his arrival.

Sota Ikeda, who is in his early fifties, is a low-ranking samurai with an annual salary of 150 koku, but there are nine people in his family, so life is a little tight. His mansion was also the most ordinary samurai mansion, except for a small courtyard connected to the vestibule, which was a longhouse divided into seven rooms.

In the middle room, a hall used to entertain guests, after Li Chenfang was invited to sit down on the upper hand on the north side of the hall, Sota Ikeda's wife served them a steaming cup of barley tea. The middle-aged woman was very embarrassed and apologized to Li Chenfang: "I didn't know that His Highness was coming, and I couldn't prepare refreshments for a while, and I ask Your Highness for forgiveness." ”

Li Chenfang smiled and said: "I also like to drink this barley tea at home, your fried barley is very similar to my mother, I like it very much, thank you for your hospitality." ”

Ikeda was relieved to hear this, and quickly asked his wife to go down so as not to interfere with their conversation. After casually asking about Sota Ikeda's work and the status of his two sons, Li Chenfang explained his intention: "I hope to be able to talk to Shotaro and his wife alone for a while, is this request too rude?" ”

Sota Ikeda hesitated, gave his son Shotaro a look, and then left with his younger son, and after a while a young woman dressed plainly stepped out and knelt beside her husband, Shotaro.

When Shotaro Ikeda was holding his wife Sadako's palm, Li Chenfang, who was sitting on the upper hand, suddenly bowed his head to the two and apologized: "Ikeda-kun, as the new joyo of Osaka, I haven't been able to give you husband and wife justice, and I want to say to the two of you: I'm sorry." ”

Shotaro Ikeda was suddenly frightened, and he hurriedly bowed down to Li Chenfang with his wife, and said, "Don't dare, don't dare." Fang Dian was able to punish criminals in public, and my wife and I are already quite grateful. How can we make Fang Dian apologize to us, this is really not etiquette. ”

Li Chenfang sat up straight, and said seriously: "No matter how I became the city generation of Osaka, since I have become the city generation, I should naturally uphold the dignity of the law." In some respects, I didn't follow the law in the end, but that doesn't mean I'm doing the right thing. It stands to reason that I should apologize to you for my decision, and that's what I'm here for..."

Li Chenfang came very suddenly, and she left very quickly. As he said himself, he just made a special trip to say sorry. Shotaro Ikeda and his wife certainly have some indescribable feelings, but Ikeda Sota looked at the back of the departing Li Chenfang, and the emotions in his eyes were also extremely complicated.

In fact, when the forces of His Royal Highness Tadanaga claimed to be subordinates captured Osaka Castle, Sota Ikeda stayed at home and no longer went to work at the Yamen. This is not because his daughter-in-law was hurt by righteousness, and Japan, which has just been peaceful for decades, does not attach great importance to women's chastity. Although the samurai of Edo began to value the chastity of samurai women due to the spread of Confucianism by the shogunate, this trend did not yet spread to the samurai families in various regions.

The reason why Ikeda was reluctant to serve Tadanada's subordinates who captured Osaka Castle was that he was not optimistic that Tadanadaden would win over the shogun Iemitsu, who had taken control of Edo. But Li Chenfang's behavior today made him feel a little shaken in his heart, but when he thought of his family's future after the failure of Zhongchang Palace, he was firm again.

Sota Ikeda closed the courtyard door, and was about to return to the house, when he saw his wife running out with a wooden box in her hand. He stopped his wife and asked, "Why are you panicking?" ”

The wife opened half of the lid of the wooden box and said, "Your Highness forgot to bring this, there are 10 great sentences." ”

Sota Ikeda looked at the box of gold, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

The guards who accompanied Li Chenfang to visit the Ikeda family were relieved after leaving the streets of the Ikeda family, and one of them couldn't help but say to Li Chenfang: "Why should the adults come in person, as long as you order the villain to send things over, isn't it safer?" ”

Li Chenfang glanced at him and said, "Your Majesty once told me that there are two things that cannot be faked, one is to thank humanity; One is to apologize to people. If you don't really want to do it, you might as well not do it..."