Chapter 23 1. End of the World

More than eight miles south of Kochi Castle, there is a small mountain village called Kanda.There is no decent road leading here, and people in the city scornfully say that people in Kanda Village don't need a road, they are all like wild mice. Yataro Iwasaki, who was born in Iguchi Village, is currently living in Kanda Village.Although it is said to be "living", there is actually no decent house, just two huts. In February of the second year of Wenjiu (1862), the 29-year-old Yataro married a wife who was only 17 years old.Her name is Xishi, she has beautiful features, and she is a smart woman at first glance.

Yataro's colleagues were all muttering behind their backs: Yataro is so ugly, he never thought he would be lucky.Everyone was jealous and envious, it was a pity that such a beautiful woman married such an ugly monster.Kishi is the daughter of Genma Genma, Shigoshita, Gaitamura, who later gave birth to Hisaya, who became the third-generation president of Mitsubishi Corporation. In May of this year, fifty days had passed since the assassination of Dongyang.At the end of the month, it was cloudy and rainy.One day after dark, someone knocked on the window of Yataro's house in the rain.

"Excuse me, who is it?" The bride made a gesture to get up. "Just say that I have something to go out. It must be no good to knock on the door at night." Yataro's house is a small house with only two rooms.He hid under the kitchen because he didn't want to get into trouble.Xishi was quite surprised by this, what a soft bone. There are two people.One of them was Makizo Osaki, who had been in power some time ago.Another person of low status is Saichiro Inoue, Shimoyoko who worked with Yataro.That's all for Inoue, it's really a big weird thing for a sergeant like Osaki Makizo to come to Yataro's house on a special trip.

Osaki made a special trip here, is it a good thing or a bad thing?Yataro felt uneasy.Regardless of whether it is good or bad, it must be a big thing. "Yataro isn't there?" Osaki Makizo's voice came from the other side of the partition, sounding a little disappointed. "Ma'am, then we'll wait here for his return." Before Yoshida Toyo was assassinated, Yataro searched very hard for news of the Qinwang Party, but soon after that he excused his illness and refused to go to the Yamen.He is a smart person, and he knows very well that the struggle between the old and the new factions will further intensify.He felt that it was foolish to be caught between two parties, to offend someone and be hurt by it.

"Madam, even if we stay here for one night today, we still have to wait for his return. This will bring trouble to the family, but we are still determined to do so." Yataro Iwasaki hid in a corner under the kitchen, not knowing what to do.But I have already escaped, and I can't get out.So he simply lay down on the ground, and the matter was over, and he didn't care about any mosquito bites, so he had to cook for the whole night in the kitchen. This boy Osaki has already been dismissed from his official position, and he is still pretending.Yataro cursed secretly.He planned to take advantage of the assassination of Dongyang, resign from public office, and return to the underground ronin.People from my background will not be promoted to Sergeant Sergeant even if they serve as Shimo Yokome for another hundred years, which is so boring.The benefactor Dongyang has lost his life, and now he has no scruples, it is better to resign from this humble position as soon as possible, and use his talents in a wider world.

Nobody is weirder than Yataro Iwasaki.Hanpeita Takeshi once commented on him in front of all the people in his sect: he was born with amazing courage and proficiency in words, but he was neither a king nor an assistant, and he didn't mention words like "ism", which may be due to his nature. If Yataro has doctrines, then what he pursues is outright egoism.What he believes in is neither the emperor nor the general, but himself.He is not a selfish person, but thinks that the world is so big that no one can match him, so he himself is a master worthy of belief. "Huh?" Osaki Makizo turned his head to the side, and there was a snoring sound from under the kitchen. "Madam, what's the matter with that snoring?"

"Ah, that's..." Xi Shi was at a loss, "It's probably a mouse." "Huh? The rats in Kanda Village can actually snore?" The snoring became louder and louder, and the joy was finally hard to hide. "Here, wait." She stood up and said, "Maybe my husband came back from the back door and slept there. I'll go and have a look." Soon, Yataro Iwasaki had no choice but to come to the guests. "Yataro." "Oh, isn't this Osaki-sama? I went out to drink some wine just now, and then I came back feeling dizzy." "Mmm." The visitor ignored the small talk and got straight to the point. "I'll make it clear, please help me if I have something to do. Master Yoshida Toyo was killed, and the murderer has not been found yet. You know that. The feudal hall knows who the murderer is, but pretends to be confused, and doesn't go to arrest the murderer at all. Therefore," Osaki Scroll Zang pointed at Yataro with his fan, stared at him closely, and said, "Although I am no longer the chief inspector, I still want to order you one thing, Yataro obey."

Osaki Makizo said something in a low voice, and then solemnly opened a letter. Yataro looked at the letter.It turned out to be a handwritten letter from the old feudal lord who lived in Edo.According to the decree at this time, once the daimyo retires, he has no right to interfere in the feudal administration.So regarding this chaos, he could only pretend to be on the sidelines, but he had already started to act secretly.He sent a secret envoy from Edo to inform the confidants of the Fan Hall and the Dongyang faction: "Send more people, and be sure to find the murderer who assassinated Dongyang." The search fee was also sent by Edo.

"Master Osaki, I just want to ask, who do you think the murderer will be?" Yataro tentatively asked. "The man behind the scenes is Takeshi." Osaki said.This is already an open secret in the city. "The old feudal lord also knows about this matter, but even if there is an old feudal lord, if the murderer is not found, there is no strong evidence, and Wushi's crime cannot be ruled." "Who will the murderer be?" "These are the four people who left the domain around that night: Shingo Nasu, Danzo Oishi, Kasuke Yasuoka, and the youngest son of the Sakamoto family in Honmachi 1-chome."

"Ah, Ryoma." "Exactly." "Do you know Ryoma Sakamoto?" "I don't know." Osaki's expression seemed to say: How could I know these countrymen? "If that's the case, Osaki-sama, I think your suspicions are a little unreasonable. Ryoma is not an ordinary person, he has a big heart, and he probably wouldn't do something like murder and launch a coup d'état." "Yataro, don't be presumptuous!" Inoue Saichiro said with a righteous attitude, "These matters are decided after many secret meetings and deliberation. What we have to do is to arrest or kill them. That's all. Your Excellency is here tonight for this matter, please don't refuse."

Hmph, you mean to make me the sergeant's dog?Yataro was dissatisfied, he stared and thought again, it was interesting.Let me be a lackey for these sergeants, bah!But since it is the order of the old fan, it is different.If my name is passed on to the old feudal lord, the future will be bright. "Okay. When are we going?" he asked energetically. Ryoma Sakamoto took a boat to Mitajiri, Choshu.He arrived at the trestle bridge by boat, and the moment he set foot on land, he felt refreshed, as if he had already joined the world. "Hey, Sawamura." He called out to Zong Zhicheng, "Where are we going next? You show me the way." Sawamura stabilized Ryoma solemnly, and said, "The leader of the world is Totaro Yoshimura. We have to find him first, otherwise we can't do anything." After he finished speaking, he left first.He didn't know the bottom line in his heart, and he finally got out of the feudal clan and became a "scholar of lofty ideals", but he didn't know where he was going. "I think I'll know where Totaro Yoshimura is when I get to Shimonoseki." "Okay, okay." Ryoma was very excited.Yoshimura, who left the feudal clan one step earlier than himself and made friends with people with lofty ideals, will definitely introduce himself to his friends. Ryoma and Sawamura left the domain to participate in the Kyoto Uprising led by Uzen Ronin Kiyokawa Hachiro, Maki Izumi from Chikugo, and Hirano Kunomi from Chikuzen.The uprising in Kyoto this time was planned by the great counselor Qinghe Hachiro and others.Now, ronin from all over Kyushu are rushing to Kyoto and Osaka one after another.But before the incident, they had to wait for the Satsuma clan's troops. Shimadzu Hisamitsu, the old lord of the Satsuma domain, will lead more than a thousand soldiers to Beijing to support the emperor in order to restore justice.The ronin of the Banbai sect wanted to wait for Hisamitsu in Osaka or Fushimi, elect him as the leader, and raise troops in Kyoto.It's just that Jiuguang doesn't follow their example.At this time, the shogunate was in power, and Jiuguang himself had no intention of overthrowing the shogunate.When he went to Beijing this time, he just wanted to use force to frighten the Edo shogunate, so as to gain a strong voice. More than a thousand soldiers from the Satsuma Army set off from Kagoshima on March 16. After arriving in Kokura, they changed to the feudal ship Tianyou and sailed eastward along the Seto Inland Sea.When Ryoma and Sawamura arrived at Sandajiri Port in Choshu, they had already sailed into Harima's Murotsu. Qinghe, Maki and Hirano and other ronin are waiting for their arrival at the Satsuma Mansion in Osaka.Although the Satsuma clan felt very troublesome, they didn't want to make a drastic change, so they vacated the longhouse No. 28 of the clan's mansion for them to stay.This is a suggestion made by Horijiro, the wise man of Satsuma, which can be said to be house arrest in disguise.But Ryoma and Sawamura Zongzhicheng didn't know this situation, they just rushed to Shimonoseki in the opposite direction from Kyoto and Osaka. There is a strange man named Shiraishi Shoichiro in Maguan, he is a wealthy businessman, and the feudal lord Maori Hou specially granted him the right to have a name and carry a knife.He is said to be a strange person because he is a businessman, and at the same time, he is also a man of lofty ideals who respects the king and fights barbarians, which was very rare at that time.He often sheltered people with lofty ideals in Changzhou and other domains, providing accommodation and financial assistance. Sawamura believes that Yoshimura used to live in Shiraishi Mansion, and when he got there, he might be able to find out Yoshimura's whereabouts. The two arrived at Maguan. Shiraishi Shoichiro is the owner of Sanyodo's leading ship company.His family is known as the treasury of Changzhou, and the mansion is magnificent, comparable to a prince's city. "What a magnificent mansion." Ryoma sighed.The mansion was so big that he even cringed a little. "Anyway, Prime Minister," he said weakly, "You have lived here before, so you should know the owner. Go in and ask about Yoshimura's whereabouts. I'll wait for you outside." Sawamura was very embarrassed.But Ryoma had already sat on the ground like a fart.At this time, a big red-haired dog as strong as a calf appeared in front of him, and when he passed by Ryoma slowly, he looked back at him. "Hey, red-haired dog." Ryoma shouted.The red-haired dog even ran over affectionately.Ryoma pulled it back and said to Sawamura, "Anyway, I'm playing with this guy." Sawamura had no choice but to walk in alone. "Tosazawa village greets Mr. Shiraishi." He said to the maid, and then asked her to bring water to wash his feet. Soon, Shiraishi Masaichiro greeted him at the entrance in person. "Please, please." He warmly welcomed Sawamura to the hall.Masaichiro Shiraishi has a pale complexion, looks like a scholar, combs his hair in a businessman's bun, but wears a neat Sendai hakama. At this time, there is a saying in the world: "There are chivalrous merchants in Maguan." As long as those with lofty ideals traveling north and south pass through Maguan, they will definitely visit Baishi's house.Baishi will warmly receive those paupers who are as poor as beggars and give them money.For those who want to lobby in Changzhou Fan, he will also match them up.However, Shiraishi Shoichiro did not enter an official career after the Meiji Restoration, and still lived a leisurely life.He died in the 13th year of Meiji at the age of sixty-nine. After his death, he was posthumously donated by the new government. "You mean Mr. Yoshimura Totaro." Masaichiro Shiraishi said, "Unfortunately, he has been going up for more than ten days. If you want to catch up with him, you can take our boat from Shimonoseki tomorrow morning. What do you think?" ?” "So that's how it is." Sawamura was a little disappointed, but thought that he might be able to catch up with the uprising by catching up, so he said, "Then please prepare a boat for us two." "You two?" Masaichiro Shiraishi looked surprised. Sawamura had to explain the whole story to him. "That gentleman is being polite to me." Baishi walked outside. After going out, he was taken aback.Among the twenty or thirty dogs of various colors, there was a burly man crawling. Are you a lunatic?This is Shiraishi Masaichiro's first impression of Ryoma. That night, Ryoma and Sawamura Insecutor lived in the merchant. "What a weird person." After Shiraishi Masaichiro returned to the bedroom, he told his wife the scene he saw just now in front of the door, "He was able to get along with Ah Hong intimately." Mrs. Baishi was also very surprised.That red-haired dog named Ah Hong was famously fierce in Maguan. "Ah Hong is lying on the ground like a puppy, wagging his tail happily. Not only Ah Hong, but also other wild dogs gathered around that warrior. He is really a man of virtue." "He likes dogs?" "I also found it strange. I asked, and he said in a strong Tosa dialect that he didn't like it. At dinner, when I talked about major events in the world, he just listened attentively and didn't know anything. He stayed at home a lot. This is the first time for a person of lofty ideals who has traveled all over the world to see someone who doesn’t understand anything.” Masaichiro Shiraishi then mused, “But it has a kind of attraction that ordinary people don’t have.” "Hehe, from this point of view, isn't the master the same as that wild dog?" "There is a reason. Dogs can feel the charm in him, and people can't feel it. In my opinion, this warrior will be very powerful in the future." "Just now you said his name is Sakamoto Ryoma?" Mrs. Shiraishi nodded, engraving this strange name in her heart. Ryoma and Sawamura set off by boat early the next morning. On the way, the sea was rough.Originally, I wanted to avoid the wind and waves, but I didn't expect that there was no wind in the Yanba Islands area, so I waited for a few days, and finally arrived at Setjin West Palace on April 21st. "Sawamura, we may not be able to catch up." Even Ryoma, who had always been calm, became a little anxious. At this moment, Sawamura Souichiro spoke in a tone as if he had already regarded Ryoma as his master.During the long-distance running, he was also attracted by the dragon horse just like the dogs in Maguan. "Anyway, Mr. Sakamoto, let's find Totaro Yoshimura first. You can find out when you go to the Choshu feudal residence in Osaka." "Oh, let's go then." When I arrived in Osaka, the people in the feudal mansion informed: Yoshimura Totaro lived in the Osaka feudal mansion for a while, and then went to Kyoto, so he should hide in the Kyoto feudal mansion of the Changzhou feudal clan. "We are one step too late." Sawamura stomped his feet anxiously.But by this time it was already dark.As a last resort, they could only stay at an inn familiar to Sawamura on the banks of Shinsaibashi. "It's not far from the Tosa feudal residence in Nishi-Nagabori. It would be troublesome if you were caught by the feudal officials. Mr. Sakamoto, please don't go out without authorization." Sawamura reminded Ryoma, but Ryoma had already been caught by his heart. The lively scene of Saibashi attracted me. Ryoma strolled to the street market.He is curious by nature, although he is a samurai, he likes the hustle and bustle of the business. The three streets from Shinsaibashi to Higashisun Keichosuji and Shinmachibashi are brightly lit and lively at night. There are not only various snacks, but also street vendors and performers, and there is an endless stream of people coming and going. Ryoma was wearing a black kapok-pattern uniform and a navy-blue jacket, wearing a hakama bought in Mitajiri, with a pair of long and short knives sticking out of his back, brushing past the peddlers. "It's really interesting." He went door to door looking at the goods in other people's stores, with a smile on his face unconsciously.Big bowls of soba noodles, grilled steamed buns, Shinsaibashi specialty Tenmoku sake, grilled tofu skewers with miso, grilled eel slices, cigarettes from Nittaya, hair oil from Ogiya, painted straw paper... "Come and see, everyone." This is the cry of peddling pornographic books to the passing crowd. What amazes Ryoma the most is that at every intersection, there are street performers performing "Street Joruri" or Pingtan, which attracts many people. It is indeed different from Edo, it is really a commercial capital.Longma sighed in his heart.Edo also has quyi venues, but there are more crude open-air venues in Osaka.The onlookers included not only apprentices and craftsmen, but also many shop owners.I don't know whether to say they are stingy, or they know more about the joys of life.In any case, Osaka is a completely different city from Edo and the castle towns of the feudal kingdoms. When Ryoma was watching a walking monk reading palms through the human wall at the head of Shinmachi Bridge, he heard someone behind him calling in a low voice: "Mr. Sakamoto." "Oh?" Ryoma turned his head, and saw a warrior with thick eyebrows, big eyes, piercing eyes, and a wide mouth standing expressionlessly. "Oh? Iwasaki Yataro?" Ryoma approached kindly.But Yataro remained expressionless, and retreated step by step into the dark. "Yataro, what are you doing in Osaka?" "What are you doing?" Yataro said helplessly, "As Shimoyoko, I came to arrest you. There are still my people at the crossroad over there. This is the meaning of the Lord Fan, and bring me to justice quickly." Ah, by the way, I'm a samurai.Ryoma suddenly remembered his identity. In fact, even if Yataro brought a hundred people, he would not take them seriously. He walked outside the human wall. Afraid that Ryoma would run away, Yataro stepped back five or six steps, staring at him cautiously. "Yataro, you still look so weird." Ryoma joked in dialect. "Follow me." Yataro didn't smile.In other words, Ryoma never saw this person smile at all.People with such a strange face are really rare in this world. Ryoma walked west along the Nagahori River, and there were many bridges along the way.Starting from Shinsaibashi, walk across the bridges of eight bridges, including Sanoya Bridge, Tanya Bridge, Yoshinoya Bridge, Uwajima Bridge, Tomita Bridge, Wenya Bridge and Shirafa Bridge, to the ninth passing bridge , is Tosa's Osaka feudal government.For Ryoma who left the feudal clan, this place is no different from Yan Luodian. When Ryoma passed the pier of the fifth bridge, he suddenly turned his head.Yataro jumped back in fright. "Longma, if you dare to kill the captives of the vassal mansion, you will affect your relatives back home." "I won't kill you." Ryoma looked around.The lights of businesses on both sides of the strait fell on the water, sparkling.The road was dark and there were no pedestrians. Yataro and his colleague Saichiro Inoue stand at Ryoma's right hand, holding the handle of the sword.They panted heavily, anxious to get angry for the mere fame.If they capture Ryoma or kill him, they will be more or less promoted. "Your name is Inoue? This is the first time we've met. You really look like a mouse." "Ryoma, this is business, please be honest." "I'm very honest." "Is it you who killed Mr. Yoshida Toyo in the feudal kingdom?" Dongyang was killed?Ryoma was taken aback.Nasu Shingo's capable image appeared in front of his eyes, and at the same time Takeichi's gloomy face also flashed in his mind, a coup d'état must be taking place in the Tosa Domain. "So, the two of you are also sent by someone?" If Wu Shi is in power, it is impossible to send someone to arrest the assassin. "It's the old feudal lord of Edo." Inoue Saichiro sneered, his face twisted, "Ryoma, listen. Takeshi has a young feudal lord to disrupt the political situation, but the old feudal lord of Edo will never sit idly by, sooner or later Get rid of you gangsters." "Evil?" Ryoma scratched his head, "Hey, mouse, I'm going to run away." "Iwasaki, you go to the back, be careful!" Saichiro Inoue jumped up and drew Tosa's unique long sword.This person has no outflow of experience and has full confidence in his skills.But it can't be compared with Longma. Yataro did not draw his sword, but took off his straw sandals and put them around his waist.He wanted to escape at any time. "Oh, what, want to fight?" Ryoma leaned against the railing of Uwajima Bridge and lazily drew out his sword. The most ridiculous is Yataro Iwasaki.He was ready to escape, but he was afraid that Saichiro Inoue would go back and sue him.As a last resort, he stood on the bridge behind Ryoma and drew his sword.After posing properly, the expression of his lion's head became even more sinister. "Yataro, you drew your sword. How brave." Ryoma sighed, "But what a pity, you shouldn't be a dirty little catcher under the command of a sergeant, you are not that kind of person. The world has changed, and people cannot avoid it." Once you die, you should not die under my sword, you should die for the world. For you, Tosa is too small." What nonsense are the ex-fans talking about!Yataro looked impatient.He had no interest in running for state affairs, and he hated people like Takeshi Hanheita who put on a benevolent face all day long.But he also knew that he would have no way out in the Tosa domain, and he could not find a place to display all his energy.What worries him now is finding a place to display his energy. "Yataro, when you were imprisoned in the prison of the Aki County Magistrate, didn't you say that you would throw away your samurai status and gather the wealth of the world?" "Yes." "I want to overthrow the shogunate." "Rebellious officials and traitors!" Inoue Saichiro roared. Ryoma turned a deaf ear, and continued to say to Yataro: "You go into business. From now on, business is a state affair. Those merchants can't do it. Only those who have the vision and bearing of a samurai and can see the situation of the world are the real business. business. Such times are bound to come.” This is reasonable, Yataro thought to himself, but he still held the handle of the knife tightly in his hand, not daring to take it lightly. "I heard from Koryo Kawada. In the United States, England, and the Netherlands, merchants are very powerful. There is no distinction between samurai merchants there, and there is no distinction between senior officers and peasants like Tosa. In the United States, generals are elected. It came out. Even a businessman can become a general as long as there are more votes there. From this point of view, the dispute between Tosa’s sergeant and the countryman is simply shit!” "This kid..." Saichiro Inoue slashed at him with a knife.Iwasaki Yataro also followed with great reluctance.Miscellaneous talk is miscellaneous, and official orders must not be forgotten. Ryoma dodges and strikes with a backhand.Inoue's sword was cut in vain, but his right shoulder was cut squarely by the back of Ryoma's sword, and he fell to the ground. Ryoma looked back, and Yataro had already fled away. Yataro Iwasaki returned to his residence in Kuroemon-cho, sweating all over his body.Not a moment later, Saichiro Inoue also came back with a pale face. "Iwasaki-kun, you are too cowardly and despicable!" Inoue yelled as soon as he entered the door.The place where they live is a small merchant's house that runs a charcoal business, and the ground is full of charcoal. "It's really shameless to ignore your friends and run for your life alone!" "Inoue, you should escape together. It was a very difficult task. Even if we tried our best, we couldn't kill him." "Then we'll be killed by him. Aren't we warriors?" "I don't believe in samurai. I know that I can't do it, but I still pretend to be tragic. Ryoma is a master of swordsmanship. If we laymen fight him, can we have good results?" "I'm the one who knows everything." "It's not the same." Yataro sneered. "rude!" "Disrespectful? A misnomer. I'm not talking about etiquette, but kung fu. Inoue, can you calm down?" "Iwasaki-kun, I misjudged the person. I heard that you are called the villain Yataro in Iguchi Village, and you are also a well-known strange person." "A nasty fellow." "But, you..." "Wait. If the time comes, I, Yataro Iwasaki, will not back down even if there are tens of millions of people. But if it is doomed to fail, even if there is only one person on the other side, I will still run away when I have to." "Despicable and cowardly!" "No, no, and..." Iwasaki swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and said, "I'm afraid of him." He was really afraid of dealing with Ryoma.First of all, he believes that the murderer of Yoshida Toyo was not Ryoma.Ryoma would never do this kind of assassination, he is not the same person as Nasu, Oishi, Yasuoka and others.Although Iwasaki thinks Ryoma is a bit hateful, but at the same time he thinks that only he can understand Ryoma: there is one thing he is better than me, the only thing is that he has a natural charm.In the future, many people will definitely be attracted by his charm.Longma will definitely be supported and watched by thousands of people, and will be able to achieve great things.I don't have this, I may just be a warrior. Yataro felt that Ryoma was a bit hateful, probably out of jealousy of him.Other than that, he bears a striking resemblance to Ryoma.It may also be precisely because of this similarity that jealousy arises in my heart. Tonight, Ryoma spared his life at Uwajima Bridge.In this way, he owed Longma another favor. "Inoue, I want to go back to Tosa." Yataro Iwasaki said. Inoue Saichiro was taken aback, and said, "Iwasaki-kun, you are getting more and more timid. Did Ryoma scare you like this tonight?" "Whatever you want." Yataro said cheekily.He decided to give up this mission, not just because of Ryoma.During these days of traveling with Inoue in Keiban, he saw clearly many things that Inoue did not see.The power of the Respecting the King and Fighting Yi faction centered on Sa Chang is rising rapidly, but the prestige of the shogunate is declining sharply. Yataro doesn't believe in any doctrine, nor is he an impassioned person in the face of major events in the world, but he has a pair of eyes to see current events.Perhaps those dignitaries in the shogunate, commentators in the opposition, and people who claim to be lofty ideals are not as insightful as this unknown Tosa official. Yataro's eyesight was not just developed.At the age of twenty-one, he became the entourage of Okumiya Tsujiro, a feudal official, and went to Edo almost penniless to study under Anji Genzhai. This stupid boy from the countryside went to Edo City with his senior from the private school and passed by Marunouchi.This day happened to be the fifteenth, and it was the day when all the famous Edo people went to the city to see the general. "How? It's spectacular, isn't it?" the senior from the private school proudly showed off to Yataro as he looked at the team of daimyos known as "Edo specialties".He took Yataro to Tatsuguchi, where he could see better. The two stood on the side of the road, watching the daimyos pass by one by one. It is indeed spectacular.After the sound of opening the way, gun arrays, gold-painted caskets, gorgeous sedan chairs and horses with gold patterns and carvings followed, as well as warriors hugging their masters and walking with a very strange gait. Seeing this, the senior brother who led the way was very excited and said, "How? I can tell the people in my hometown what I have seen and heard when I go back." Yataro, on the other hand, watched coldly. Stupid!The era of the shogunate and the daimyo is coming to an end soon!He could only speak in his heart. The daimyo team is an extremely strange thing created by the so-called Edo culture. Except for the foreigners who came to sail, no one thinks it is funny.But Yataro, who came out of the mountains of Tosa, scoffed.The shogunate and feudal lords who take pleasure in this kind of thing will inevitably perish, and if they do not perish themselves, they will definitely be perished by foreigners. It is never wise to go against the trend of the times.Yataro left his residence that night and went to stay at the Funaya Inn in Mount Tempozan.If Yataro continues to be his yokome, will Mitsubishi rise in the future? Inoue Saichiro stayed.He is short in stature, with a little talent, but he just has a low eye, and he has no view on the current situation, let alone any lofty ambitions.In his heart, only the utilitarian heart of the vulgar is burning.Catch or kill the suspect and you will be promoted.What's more, the wife and children still stay in their hometown, so they have to discuss a future. Tosa had two domains in Osaka.One is the feudal mansion along the Nishi Nagahori Nagahori River, which is responsible for the distribution of rice, seafood, paper, wood and other materials of the Tosa domain.This feudal mansion is very spectacular, covering an area of ​​more than 10,000 square meters, and it is an official office in charge of business. The other was built only recently, dedicated to the military, and is located at the home of Sumiyoshi Nakamura.It was built on the land given by the shogunate, covering an area of ​​10,079 ping.The feudal mansion faces the coast, and the whole structure is no different from that of a city.In the Tosa domain, this domain is generally called the Sumiyoshi camp. It was built by the shogunate to prevent the invasion of foreigners from Sakai City.In the past, Dongyang invested a lot of money in order to please the shogunate.Five hundred soldiers were fully armed, and forts were set up along the coast. Five hundred guns bought from Holland were prepared in the battalion, and the commander was a senior official. Saichiro Inoue visits friends every day from his residence to the Sumiyoshi camp.When he was in Tosa, his supervisor Fukutomi Kenji was on duty in the camp.Fukutomi is a sergeant, and he practiced the swordsmanship of Akeshin Akechi-ryu in Edo, and obtained the qualification of the stream.He was promoted by the late Toyo as a member of the new Goby team.Therefore, he hates the royal party in Wushi more than anyone else. "Listen, Saichiro, one day, with the order of the old vassal of Edo, the Qinwang Party will be wiped out. As long as you can catch the murderer who killed Lord Yoshida, you will be able to rise to the top." He said to Saichiro. The remnants of the Eastern Party like Fufu, no matter what the price is, must bring the murderer to justice and force him to tell the instigation behind the scenes.Although the fact that Takeshi Hanheita was behind the scenes was already a lice on the bald man's head-it was obvious, but they needed evidence.As long as there is evidence, Wushi and his accomplices can immediately become criminals, and the Dongyang faction can be reinstated. "I understand." Saichiro Inoue raised his head to look at Fufu and nodded, his eyes showed the persistence and desire for power. But Inoue didn't know at that time that the most terrifying enemy for them was actually inside their camp, that is, the ashigaru samurai murderer Yozo. Okada Izo did not have the nickname of "Murderer" at that time.He started to kill the Zumu faction in the land of Jingluo, and it was later later.But at this time he had already started to become violent.At this time, his swordsmanship has improved a lot compared to when Ryoma was subdued by Ryoma when he mistakenly attacked Ryoma at Koryo Bridge in Osaka, and even obtained the catalog qualification that his master Takeichi Hanpeita did not obtain. Yizang discusses with his companions in the most popular terms and accents for people with lofty ideals.Although he is only a foot-light, he is also a disciple of Wushi, so he also joined the King Qin Party, and his words and deeds show the appearance of a man who cares about the country.Yizang has neither knowledge nor wisdom, he only has a heart of blind obedience to his master Takeshi, and he can be regarded as a fanatical follower of Takeshi Banheita. Takeshi Qinwangdang is an association of lower-level samurai of the Tosa domain.If this association can hold real power, perhaps they can get rid of the fate of being low-level warriors for generations, and will never be called "Ashigaru" scornfully.This is also a kind of utilitarianism.Yizang originally longed for fame. He and his companions were discussing at the corporal longhouse of the Sumiyoshi camp at this time. The camp is divided into rooms where the sergeants live and rooms where the corporals (goshi and ashigaru) live.The corporal's residence is located on the right side of a building called the Royal Palace. The entire longhouse is more than forty feet long and is a two-story building. In one of the rooms, Yizang was talking and laughing happily with three companions.The three companions are Hisamatsu Kiyoma, Tanuchi Kitaji and Murata Chusaburo, all of whom are wearing dirty cotton clothes. "Have you noticed that Shimoyoko Inoue Saichiro and Iwasaki Yataro, who came from their hometown, don't live in the Nagahori feudal mansion or the Sumiyoshi camp for some reason, but they just come here sometimes. Their eyes make people dare not take it lightly. What do you think their purpose in coming to Osaka this time?" Everyone can imagine that they came to track down Nasu Shinobu and the other three who assassinated Toyo. "It should be an investigation." "Yes." "Kill them?" Yizang said expressionlessly.However, his hands trembled a little.It's not fear, it's excitement. "Kill them, for the sake of the king and the barbarians." They carefully consulted Hirai Shujiro, the important official of the clan who stayed in the Sumiyoshi camp.Hirai is one of the rare King Sects among the sergeants.He has a close relationship with Takeshi, and is also one of the driving forces behind the assassination of Yoshida Toyo.And he, like Takeshi, became the protagonist in the coup drama in the future. "Okay, clean them up." Hirai said.If Nasu Shingo is arrested, all their efforts will probably be in vain, and the efforts of the king of the feudal kingdom will also be in vain. Now that he has obtained the permission of the important ministers of King Qin's faction, Okada Izo began to immerse himself in his assassination plan. "I'm going to kill people." He was so excited that he almost jumped up, "If I kill them, Mr. Hirai and Mr. Takeichi will be very happy." Saichiro Inoue also had his own little plan. He also felt that as long as the suspect who killed Dongyang was arrested, he could be promoted.Both the Qinwang faction and the lower ranks of the Dongyang faction have no doctrines and ideas, and their ambitions for fame and fame will soon turn into conflicts. Tosa has been split into two halves, and it can even be said to be divided into three factions and four factions, but at present, the Qinwang faction and the new bureaucratic faction promoted by Dongyang are facing each other. Izo knew that the Shimoyoko who lived in the Sumiyoshi camp also had the Qinwang faction. They were Ryokichi Yoshinaga and Yasuma Ogawa. "I have a secret matter to discuss with the two of you." Yizang told the two of his plan and asked for their assistance, "Although Inoue and Iwasaki are colleagues of the two, this is for the sake of the world." Nothing good happens when this blind zealot excitedly proclaims "for the world." "Okay, we'll help you. But Shinta, that Iwasaki Yataro seems to be dissatisfied with this mission, and has already returned to the domain without authorization." "What? Yataro? Luckily for him. Is Saichiro Inoue still here? He was hanging around here yesterday. It seems like something happened." "Yes, I've been here." "You two, let's talk about how to kill him." Okada Izo said.He became a master assassin in the future with amazing resourcefulness in killing people. "You and Inoue are colleagues, and Inoue will not warn you." "right." "If I am Okada Izo, he will increase his vigilance." "It should be." The two looked at Okada Izo, narrowed their eyes and nodded. "Therefore, I want to ask you two to lure him out. I have a fee here." He said, and he took out the money.This is the feudal government funds taken from Hirai Shoujiro. After discussing the details with Izo, the two Shimoyokos sent by King Qin went to Saichiro Inoue's residence. "Inoue, let's go drink." They offered an invitation. 一个人的弱点往往能够致命，井上的不幸就在于他好酒如命。 “两位请客？那真是太感谢了。” 他们去了心斋桥筋。 此处有一家叫大与的饭馆，颇受人欢迎。 他们喝得有几分醉的时候，冈田以藏、村田忠三郎、久松喜代马和田内喜多治等人装作偶然前来，面带微笑登场了。 “诸君都在啊，太好了。” 这里的饭馆和新町等地的饭馆茶馆不同，客人都不在包间里，而是在大厅里喝酒用饭，之间用隔扇隔开。 “冈田君。”与井上佐一郎同饮的吉永亮吉放下筷子道，“我来引见一下。这位是我的同僚井上佐一郎君，最近刚从藩国来到大坂。” “鄙人井上。”井上佐一郎轻轻地点了点头，态度显得有些傲慢。他的身份和大家一样，但是因为身居下横目一职，总会流露这种傲慢之态。 “鄙人冈田以藏。” “鄙人村田忠三郎。” “鄙人田内喜多治。” 他们各自报上姓名。他们在藩国的时候都见过井上，但是没有打过招呼。 “他乡遇故知啊。”冈田以藏放下剑，坐了下来，“井上，喝酒喝酒。今天我请客，小意思。” 酒一壶接着一壶端了上来。 酒葫芦土佐人放开了肚皮使劲儿喝。井上向来被人称为“三升酒”，众人一阵猛灌。 “不能喝了，醉了醉了。”井上瞪大了眼，神情都变了。他原本酒品就不好，只要一醉，就会说人不是，责备他人。 “诸君认识岩崎弥太郎吗？” “啊，太神乐啊。”有人附和道。太神乐是指狮子舞，弥太郎和那舞狮子很像。 “简直不配当武士。”井上一一列举了岩崎日常的言行，开始破口大骂。但他仍没有提及二人此行的任务。 当所有人喝得酩酊大醉走出大与的时候，已经是丑时了。 “井上，我们送你到九郎右卫门町的住处吧。” “嗯。”井上傲慢地点了点头。 六人围住井上，故意踉跑着往南走，经戎桥过了道顿堀川，沿着河边往西缓行，快到九郎右卫门町的时候，周围已经没有行人了。 冈田以藏向众人递了一个眼色，然后说了一句：“啊，醉了醉了。”说着便扑了上去，右手一把扼住井上的脖子。 井上很快瘫软在地。 久松喜代马拔出井上的腰刀，斜斜刺进了他的腹部。 井上的尸体被扔进了道顿堀川。