Chapter 39 17. Takashi Nagasaki
Sakamoto Ryoma came to the deck before dawn.The sea wind was very strong, and the green starboard side light kept shaking. "The sail seems to be roaring." He looked up, walked towards the stern with his chest out against the wind, and sat down there with his clothes lifted.The weather is cold.
The sun is about to come out on the first day of the Lunar New Year in the fourth year of Wenjiu.Soon, some people stood around Ryoma, gradually increasing, most of them were from Kobe School.The banquet is also ready.At the suggestion of Kanno Kakuhei, who is good at drinking, they decided to exchange glasses for the New Year's sun.
Taro Takamatsu and Ma Nosuke Akamatsu carried the wine barrel, and poured wine for everyone using a thick cup cut from a bamboo tube as a wine vessel.
"The appetizer is dried squid." Sawamura Soichijo distributed some to each person.
The sun has not risen yet.Everyone couldn't bear the temptation of the aroma of the wine in the bamboo tube. Seeing Kanno Kakuhei taking a sip secretly, they all started drinking.
"Mr. Sakamoto, isn't it delicious?" The red-faced Manosuke who was born in a merchant sipped the wine.
"Let's sing the tune of the grand festival." Kanno Kakuhei raised his head and sang loudly: "One ah one, life is loyalty, filial piety, righteousness and bravery, and you will spare your life to protect your name."
Sawamura Shotojo then sang: "Two, two, the deep eaves bamboo hat covers the face, and the hair of love passes between the eyebrows." This is a counting song that Tosa has had since ancient times, and it is unknown when it originated.No matter whether you are a senior scholar or a villager in the fan, they can sing it, just like a fan song.It is a bit like the tone of the Muromachi period, so it is also a bit similar to the Kuroda tone of the Chikuzen Fukuoka Clan. Sometimes it is majestic and impassioned, and sometimes it is tactful and melancholy.
"A samurai doesn't know how to make trouble at dawn, and a stupid cat doesn't know how to catch mice." This means that if a samurai doesn't prepare for the enemy's attack in the early morning, he is like a cat that doesn't know how to catch mice.
"I love to show my knives, the quality of the blade and the inscription."
"One person can be brave to ten thousand husbands."
"When there is no way to retreat, die with the sword."
Just as they were talking and singing, a ray of light shot out, and a little red appeared in the eastern sky.The sky was getting redder and the sun was rising.
"Look, it's magnificent."
Kanno drew his sword and danced the flower and bird dance.
Ryoma docked the sightseeing ship at Kobe Onohama to guide the trainees to practice.It was supposed to be taught by Sheng Haizhou, the director of the school, but he has been really busy recently.Katsushi and the general arrived in Osaka on the eighth day of the first lunar month one step earlier than Ryoma and others on the Shokaku, and lived in Osaka Castle as a shogunate warship.
"I'll teach." Ryoma said with a serious face.When Mutsu Yonosuke heard this, he couldn't help laughing.Although Ryoma is the instructor, he learned those things from gourd painting, unlike Katsu Kaishu, who learned authentic navigation directly from the Dutch.
"Bastard, even so, didn't I sail the boat from Shinagawa to Kobe?"
"Well, I admit that. But learning and skills are the most important at the beginning. If you teach us the things you created yourself at the beginning, it will be troublesome."
"What are you not happy about?"
Ryoma has nothing to do with Mutsu.Mutsu didn't really think so, he was just joking with Ryoma.Mutsu is eloquent, and always speaks out a reason when he is unreasonable. He loves to show off his tongue, so he is not in harmony with his classmates.Only under the hands of a big brother like Ryoma can he take a breather.
At this time, a young man with a Satsuma accent stepped forward and said, "I will learn from Mr. Sakamoto."
It was Yuheng Ito sent by the Satsuma domain.Ito was different from other ronin in that he came here under the order of the vassal, so he wanted to quickly learn practical operation and master navigation skills.The Satsuma domain has purchased the three-masted steamship Anxing, waiting for Ito and others to return to the domain.
At some point, Fujihei, the dormitory, also came to the dormitory of the school.Ryoma has been persuading Fujibei to study the navy, but Fujibei always refuses to listen to his advice. "Please spare me. How can a thief run into the sea?"
As a last resort, Ryoma asked Fujibei to be his liaison with Katsu Kaishu.
Katsuya liked Fujibei very much, and said proudly to his fellow ministers and daimyo: "I took a thief as my subordinate."
"Master, I have to go to Osaka." One day in February, after Fujibei returned from Osaka, he urged Ryoma to go.
"What's up?"
"I don't know what it is, but it seems to be a good thing anyway."
From the Ikuta Forest in Kobe Village to Osaka Castle, it is at least eighty miles by land. "Let's sail the warship, it's just practice." Long Ma thought, and then let the students get ready for sailing.
Early the next morning, the warship weighed anchor and set sail.The headwind made it impossible to use a sail, so it was decided to use a steam engine.
"Burn more Wupingtai." Longma ordered.
"Wupingtai" is a common name for coal.It is said that a person named Wuheita in Chikuqian first opened up business, hence the name.But no one knows who Wu Pingtai is.Coal from Mt. Takatori in Chikuzen is used on board the Kanko.
"Sakamoto, the shogunate navy can call that thing coal." Mutsu joked with Ryoma.
"My name is Wupingtai."
"We learned from you the navigation of the Sakamoto style, and even the name of the fuel is different from the orthodox one."
Kanno Kakuhei holds the steering wheel.Sightseeing was blowing thick black smoke and headed southward against the wind.When we arrived in the area of Xigong Bay, the wind direction changed.The wind speed is about eight meters, so-so is considered a tailwind.
"Turn off the steam engine. Rise up." Ryoma didn't do anything, but directed.
Taro Takamatsu, who delivered the order, immediately shouted on the deck: "Laura Sai."
After hearing the order, Mochizuki Kameta, a ronin from Tushu, Naoto Yoshida, a member of Inshu, and other crew members ran towards the tallest mast.
"Hahaha." Long Ma was delighted.Swordsmanship is interesting, and warships are also interesting.
Soon, the sightseeing ship sailed into Tempozan Bay in Osaka.Ryoma was very surprised: warships of various types were docked here, and there were eleven of them.
The general enters Beijing, this may be the general's fleet.This is to show the majesty of the general.Originally, the general's team should be followed by big and small names, gorgeous and luxurious, but now the general came to Keiban from Edo on a warship.General warships are too simple. In order to show the majesty of the general, all the warships of the various feudal clans were sent to Osaka Bay. In fact, it was a grand trip.
At present, there are not many domains with warships.Some domains have boats, but no one who can sail them.Therefore, the generation of warships pursued Sheng Haizhou, dispatched the navy of the shogunate to various domains, and sailed the ship here.
The Ango of the Satsuma Domain, the Kaiji of the Kaga Domain, the Hiroshi of the Nanbu Domain, the Rocco of the Chikuzen Domain, the Yakumo of the Unshu Matsue Domain, the Black Dragon of the Echizen Fukui Domain, and other ships of the Shogunate : Shogun Ojo Shokaku, Chaoyang, Chiaki, Daiichi Nagasaki and Beaulieu.
The shogunate is still very powerful, Ryoma thought.
Ryoma originally thought that Sheng would be in Osaka City, but when he saw the general's flag flying on the mast of the Xianghe, he said, "Isn't that flag Mr. Sheng's?" He was suddenly surprised.The general should have already entered Osaka Castle, how could Sheng stay on the warship alone?
To be cautious, Ryoma approached the boat, and his intuition told him that the boat was the winner.Ryoma sent a signal to the Shokaku, and asked someone to lower the boat.He took a small boat to the side of the Shokaku.But he can't go up.Although it is at sea, the Shokaku can be said to be the general's castle, and the deck of the warship is hung with a curtain of sunflower pattern.
Ryoma looks up from the boat and sees a Katsu-like person staying in a strange place.
"Mutsu, I'm short-sighted, so I can't see clearly. Please help me see if the person on the foremast observation deck is Mr. Masaru."
"From the pattern on the top, yes." Mutsu's eyes are very good.
Standing on the observation deck, Katsuki has seen the whole process of the Sightseeing ship entering the port with a telescope.
Katsuki seems to have strange ideas and unique actions, but he also has a cautious and disciplined side that is unique to Edo people.Due to the great task of going to Beijing with the general, he hasn't slept well recently.And as a generation of warships, sometimes he would climb up the mast like a waterman and observe the situation of the warships docked in the port from the watchtower.
Sheng came down from the watchtower, came to the side of the boat, and looked down at Ryoma on the boat. "Ryoma, you've worked hard all the way."
He had the rope ladder lowered.A high-ranking official of the shogunate walked down the ladder from the warship like a waterman.He jumped on Ryoma's boat and said, "Let's go to Nagasaki." Katsu couldn't wait to push Ryoma onto the stage of the world.It was precisely because of this idea that he let Ryoma accompany Nagasaki this time.
"The Shogun ordered me to set off immediately. This is the official business of the Shogunate. The reason why I took you there is firstly to let you, a master of Beichen's swordsmanship, serve as my bodyguard, and secondly to let you practice navigation skills."
Sheng wants to go to Nagasaki on the sightseeing ship.
Changzhou Fan is like a powder magazine.In this gunpowder magazine, the radical vassals lighted torches and danced wildly.Not only dangerous, they have begun to explode, and detonated one after another, the shogunate has nothing to do.Even the imperial court hates Changzhou very much. Today's Emperor Xiaoming hates Changzhou the most.
The sorrow of the Changzhou Fan is that they don't know that the court hates them so much, and they still regard themselves as "the first fan of the Qin King", regardless of the survival of the fan, and continue to do whatever they want, like crazy.They not only pointed the finger at the shogunate, but also pointed at the barbarians.The Changzhou Domain still did not stop the activities of the Shimonoseki Fort, and launched shelling without warning against foreign ships passing through the Shimonoseki Strait.This has turned into an international dispute.Due to misjudgment, it even sank a Japanese ship.Unfortunately, that ship happened to belong to the Satsuma clan who had a deep grudge with Changzhou.
Around Xu time one night.The ships of the Satsuma domain hang high lanterns with the Shimadzu family crest on them, and drop anchor at night in front of the fort of the Choshu domain.The fort suddenly launched an attack, and the Samo boat hurriedly lifted anchor and fled for more than eight miles. Finally, it caught fire and sank. Twenty-eight people below the non-commissioned officer drowned.
This was obviously an accidental injury.However, after the incident, the Changzhou clan found various reasons and refused to admit the fault of the clan.This incident intensified the emotional antagonism between Sa and Chang.
Countries have not been silent about the madman's unilateral challenge launched by the Changzhou Fan in the name of expelling barbarians.Foreign warships fought whenever they had the opportunity, and each time they destroyed part of the forts of the Choshu Domain.Every time the Changzhou Fan will repair the fort and launch another bombardment.
Longma is more supportive of Changzhou.He agreed with Sheng's idea of founding the country, but in terms of feelings, he supported the brave move of Changzhou Fan to fight against the barbarians.All kinds of contradictions and complicated psychology developed slowly and unexpectedly, but his heart towards Changzhou remained unchanged throughout his life.
Rumors circulated in the streets and alleys that the shogunate ignored the Choshu domain, which was in a bitter battle with foreign warships, and even provided convenience for foreign warships damaged in the Shimonoseki Strait.
Ryoma could not tolerate the actions of the shogunate.Sheng said that the various countries are preparing to organize a joint fleet to attack and subdue the Changzhou Fan.
On the ninth day of February, Ryoma went to Nagasaki with Sheng Haizhou.
The ship sails west in the Seto Inland Sea.Sheng introduced that British and Dutch warships gathered in Nagasaki Port, and they are still coming from Shanghai one after another.Not only these two countries, France and the United States are also sending warships to Nagasaki.All of these are for the purpose of launching an attack on the Changzhou Fan.Many officials of the shogunate clapped their hands and applauded, thinking that it was the best time to clean up Changzhou.
The shogunate's hatred of Changzhou has reached such a morbid level.When the two sides confront each other sharply, they will lose their rationality and only think with hatred.In the eyes of some people in the shogunate, foreigners who are enemies of Changzhou are their comrades.
But although the shogunate hated the Changzhou people so much, from the standpoint of the Japanese government, they did not want to start a foreign war at home.But they did not actively persuade the foreigners to stop their attack plan on Changzhou, but only sent a symbolic Sheng Haizhou to mediate.Therefore, Katsu is going to meet the captains of foreign warships gathered in Nagasaki Port.
The ship sailed to the Maguan Strait where the wind and clouds gathered.On the right bank is Maguan, the territory of the Changzhou clan, and the forts of the Changzhou clan can be seen sixteen miles away.Ryoma used the binoculars to see the gun body shining blue in the sun, and he could vaguely see the soldiers training around the fort through the pine forest.Ryoma, whose heart is in Changzhou, is very happy.Although Changzhou is Japan's largest foreign vassal, it is determined to fight against foreigners.No one in Japan can match the fierce temperament of Changzhou people.But Ryoma also knew that the Changzhou Fan had gone too far. "It's reckless, but it's interesting."
To say they are reckless is not to ridicule, but out of kinship.He wanted to meet every Changzhou person, pat them on the shoulder, and say this to them.
What about the left bank of the strait?There is the Buzen Ogura Domain.Xiaocang is the territory of Pudai daimyo, and it is sealed with 150,000 stones of Ogasawara.Since ancient times, when it comes to the defense of the Tokugawa family, Ogura will come to mind.Their duty is to monitor the movements of Kyushu.Since Ieyasu, the imaginary enemy of the Tokugawa family has been the Saikuni daimyo, who thinks that the Shimadzu family in Satsuma and the Mori family in Choshu are the most dangerous.Therefore, once there is turmoil in Kyushu, the lord of Ogura will urge the daimyos of Kyushu to suppress it, just like the Takamatsu Domain (Matsudaira) in Shikoku.
Now the two camps face each other across the strait.
The antagonism between the two feudal lords has deteriorated extremely.Therefore, whenever the fort of the Changzhou clan was shot by foreign naval guns, the Ogura clan on the other side would clap their hands and cheer.From the land of Changzhou, they can clearly see their dancing and dancing, which arouses the people of Changzhou's hatred of Xiaocang Fan.
After leaving the strait, Ryoma and others began to sail along the coast of Kitakyushu and entered Hizen Imari Bay.
Imari Bay is the big bay in the southeast of the Eastern Matsuura Peninsula. The bay extends inland, and the innermost part is Imari.There are three waterways to enter this bay, namely Hibi Waterway, Qingdao Waterway and Tsuzaki Waterway.After discussing with Katsu, Ryoma chose the Hibi Waterway.
The waterway is very narrow, there are many large and small islands, and there are reefs everywhere, which is a very difficult route.Weary and sweaty, they sailed into Imari Bay on February 14th and dropped anchor.The Kanko will return to Osaka, and Ryoma and Katsu will go overland to Nagasaki.Peach blossoms are in full bloom along the road.Here the imperial court issued an edict on the twentieth to change Yuan Yuanzhi.The two arrived in Nagasaki on February 23.
"What a nice city." Ryoma walked on the street and sighed several times.What he saw and heard here made him feel very fresh, and his impression was completely different from that of Edo, Osaka, Kyoto and the castle towns of the feudal lords.Pedestrians on the street seem very leisurely, which proves that this city is not as restrained as those castle towns.
Nagasaki is full of western flavor.Since a Portuguese ship came to the seaside of Nagasaki in the first year of Motoki, this bay has become a window for absorbing foreign cultures.At the end of the Warring States period, just a few years after the eighth year of Tianzheng, this place even became the territory of the Pope of Rome.In the fifteenth year of Tianzheng, Toyotomi Hideyoshi feared that this place would become a stronghold for foreign aggression against Japan, so he took back this territory.But anyway, the personality of the city was created by the Portuguese.Even after the Tokugawa shogunate implemented the country-locking policy, it was only at this port that the Dutch and Chinese had limited residence and trade rights.The shogunate appointed two Nagasaki magistrates here to be in charge of domestic and foreign affairs, but in fact it was in charge of six town elders.
"Did you like this place?" When Sheng was young, he had spent some time here as a cadet of the first batch of Naval Training Institute.He misses it very much too.
The sky is blue.The sky in Tosa is beautiful, but it is too humid.The sky of Nagasaki is resounding.The blue sky of the East China Sea extends all the way to Nagasaki.
"Mr. Sheng, the front of Kyoto is just Osaka, and the front of Edo is just Odawara, but the opposite of Nagasaki is Shanghai of the Qing Dynasty."
An idea popped up in Ryoma's mind.He felt that his fleet must be based on this.Trade with Shanghai from here, profit from it, and then use the profits to increase the number of warships and create Japan's largest maritime kingdom.At the same time, join forces with Sa Chang to overthrow the shogunate.
Seung is also a weirdo.He clearly knew that Ryoma was a downfall theory, but in order to promote Ryoma's growth, he brought him all the way to Nagasaki.
Katsuki walked into Morisaki's enforcement office in the city, and saw Nagasaki's obligatory service chief, Gate Shou Changchun.Nagasaki Fushin was selected from Banner Toshihide, with considerable power, directly under the old middle school, with a salary of one thousand stones, four thousand four hundred and two bags of rice, and three thousand taels of gold.The seat in Edo Castle is among Hibiscus. Once something happens in Nagasaki, he has the power to order the famous names of Kyushu in the name of a general.
"The Mukaku Foreign Affairs Office received news that Britain, France, Holland, and the United States were often bombarded by the Changzhou Domain. In a fit of anger, they planned to form a joint fleet in Nagasaki. From here, they launched an attack on the Changzhou Domain, and then drove straight in. Under the Osaka Castle where the general is. Have those warships arrived yet?" Sheng asked.
"I haven't received any report from the outpost yet." Nagato said, "But just to be on the safe side, I'll ask my subordinates to take a look."
Sheng waved his hand, saying no. "I go by my own."
That's what wins.Don't worry if you don't see it with your own eyes.He didn't believe the rumors he heard, he only believed in what he saw with his own eyes, and he thought and judged accordingly.At this point, he and Ryoma have exactly the same way of thinking about the problem.If you don't touch it in person, you feel like you haven't thought about it.
"Are you going in person?" Nagato Shou was very surprised. How could the high-ranking Banner be so casual? "Then the lower officials will go too." The gate guard had no choice but to stand up.
To the west of the city street, there is a Tateyama Highland where Suwa Myojin is enshrined, and there is also an enshrinement office on it.Looking down from there, you can have a panoramic view of the entire port.
Prepared three sedan chairs.One ride is for the executive officer, one ride is for victory, and the other ride is prepared for the shogunate supervisor Nose Kanosuke.In addition to these three sedan chairs, many people followed.Deputy officials, supervisors and commanders, investigators and other lower-level officials under the magistrate followed in droves in order to strengthen the magistrate and win the prestige when traveling.
"Ryoma, that's it." Sheng whispered, "This is how Japan will perish. If senior officials in the United States travel on business, they will go alone and act quickly. Everything in the shogunate works like this. How can it improve efficiency?"
Ryoma followed Katsu's sedan chair.
A big ronin, wearing a faded red-striped suit, dirty hakama, and messy hair, followed Sheng expressionlessly.The officials of the execution office all felt creepy.
"Who is that?" Someone asked in a low voice.
It was a very strange thing for you to be a high-ranking official on behalf of the warship and bring a ronin with him.But even so, these officials are really strange, just because Longma came with Sheng, they servilely bowed to Longma and asked questions.Long Ma dealt with it casually, and suddenly asked: "How much money is there in the enforcement office?"
The officials all stared.One of them thought that Ryoma was also an official in Edo, so he said, "There are one hundred thousand taels."
Longma nodded secretly.He thought that once the war against the veil broke out, he would attack the Nagasaki Executive Office and take the one hundred thousand taels for military supplies.
They boarded Lishan, leaned over to watch the harbor, and found that no foreign warship had arrived.As long as foreign warships do not come, there is no way to act.
"Wait a few more days, wait for them to come." Sheng said.It was Katsushi's business to persuade the captains of foreign warships who were about to gather in Nagasaki to give up attacking Choshu, so he decided to wait here.
Meanwhile, they were transferred from the Morisaki Magistrate's Office to the Tateyama Magistrate's Office, where they lived.The high ground overlooks the harbour, and the view is great.
At that time, the people of Nagasaki called the one on the Tateyama side "Tateyama Yamen" in order to distinguish the two offices.Lishan Yamen is a very grand house.The main entrance of the enforcement office is seven meters wide and four meters five high, majestic and magnificent.After entering through the main entrance, the gate post is on the left, and the waiting room and the rooms of junior officials are on the right.After entering the main entrance, the front entrance is as big as Daimyo's upper residence.On the left side of the entrance are the annual celebration room, office, etc., as well as the white sand area prepared for the trial.In addition, there are official rooms such as academies, messenger rooms, halls, and reception rooms. If you don't know the terrain here, you may even get lost.
Ryoma didn't just stay there, he went to the city every day, occasionally shopping.Although Nagasaki is so different, the shops in it are not much different from places like Edo, Osaka and Kyoto.It's just that the door curtains are not navy blue, but made of uniform black kapok.Under the blue sky, the black kapok contrasts with the white lime painted on the eaves.
Ryoma walked into a Tangwu shop.It mainly deals in rare groceries imported from China or the West.
"Is there any French perfume?" Ryoma asked the shopkeeper at the counter.
The shopkeeper was taken aback: What does this filthy ronin want French perfume for?
Ryoma has heard of perfume for a long time.It is said that in the West, this is the favorite of gentlemen.So he also wanted to use it once.It's ridiculous to say that Ryoma is also easy to dress up.He just doesn't know how to dress up, but he has a full heart for beauty.
Perfume is divided into male and female.The shopkeeper then asked, "Are you using it yourself?" Contempt was hidden in his flattering smile.
"right."
The boss really wanted to say: "You don't need perfume, you should take a bath and change your clothes first." He endured it, not knowing what to do for a while.
"That's a bit expensive." The shopkeeper lowered his head and looked at Ryoma with rolling eyes.
"I know." Ryoma was born sensitive to the price of goods.In this respect, he is completely different from his contemporaries. "How much?" He took out twenty taels of gold from his pocket, all sent by his brother Quan Ping. "A bottle of three taels."
"Here." Longma took out three gold coins from his pocket and threw them to the shopkeeper.Three taels of gold is almost equivalent to a year's salary for maids and servants, which is really not a small amount.
The shopkeeper walked inside in trepidation and took out the perfume and cologne.Ryoma chose cologne.
"By the way, do you have any French scented powder?"
"Did you use it?" The shopkeeper couldn't help but asked in a daze.
"Idiot, can I use it?" Ryoma laughed loudly and said, "I want to give it to the woman I love."
"Alas." The shopkeeper brought a beautiful white pottery container.After Longma asked the price, he realized that a piece of one or two is really extravagant!
"Give me three copies. Can you send them to me from here? Please lend me a pen and paper. I will write you an address and a letter."
Ryoma sat down.Give it to Miss Tianzuru, Aaron and Sanako, Ryoma thought.
"Where are you going?"
"Edo and Kyoto." After Ryoma finished speaking, he looked blankly at the market outside.The faces of the three women appeared in front of his eyes, and he fell into deep thought.Surely they will be very happy.But the three have different personalities and react differently.Thinking of this, he suddenly had a strange idea: Are these three women my lovers?He is a little guilty.
What the world calls lust is quite different from his situation.If it is said that Ryoma is infatuated with women, it is strange to be infatuated with three at the same time.Can this situation of Ryoma be called infatuation?
I see.Although I admire these three women, it is not to the extent of infatuation.No, I'm trying not to be infatuated with them.You can't give them such things casually.He thought that once he sent it, they might misunderstand.It is best to maintain the current relationship, if you go further, you will fall into the quagmire.The friendship between gentlemen is as light as water.It's an old saying.Ryoma decided to be as calm as water when interacting with women.
It's as light as water, which is really good.Ryoma thought.Love is the meeting of two hearts.Ryoma does not want to fall into the quagmire of emotions and lose the freedom of spirit and action.Ryoma has his own ambitions in life.Compared with this ambition, the kind of honey-like love is only an obstacle.If you give them French incense powder, you will fall into the quagmire of lust.Always be as light as water.
Whenever Ryoma made up his mind like this, he felt sad.However, when he finally made a decision, he couldn't help clapping his hands excitedly. "Help me send it to Kochi in Tosa." As he spoke, he wrote down the address: Tosa Kochi Castle Honmachi 1-chome Sakamoto Gonhei Turn Harubo.Harubo has adopted an adopted son named Seijiro, who is already the mother of two daughters, Tsurui and Usagi.Longma wrote a letter to Chunzhu.The letter should arrive before the package.
After putting down the postage, Ryoma happily walked out of the shop, smelling of cologne from his collar.
The next day, Sheng and Ryoma changed their residence and lived in a temple called Fuji Temple in the city.They played chess with the abbot there every night.
The abbot was very interesting. As soon as he saw him, he grabbed Sheng and asked, "What is the name of this warrior?"
"Sakamoto Ryoma." For some unknown reason, Katsuki repeated it several times, and also instructed "Don't forget this name".He felt something from Ryoma's appearance, but he didn't say it clearly.
There is a rumor among foreigners living in Nagasaki that the British fleet will carry 2,000 marines and the Dutch fleet will carry 800 marines to attack Shimonoseki of the Choshu Domain.Sheng submitted this rumor to Muge as an urgent matter.There is also a rumor that several vassals from Changzhou have sneaked into Nagasaki, preparing to assassinate Katsura.Among Changzhou people, only Gui Xiaogoro knew what kind of character Sheng was.The other vassals just regarded Sheng as an ordinary shogunate official.
They think: "Sheng wants to use foreign fleets to destroy our Changzhou."
These rumors are true.Four people including Fumisuke Odamura and Hikosuke Tamaki, the feudal vassals of Changzhou, entered the port on a steamer the day before Katsuwa Ryoma arrived in Nagasaki, stayed in an inn in the city, and observed the movement secretly.
On February 28th, four Changzhou people walked into the mountain gate of Fuji Temple in a dainty manner.They were not assassins, they were officially sent by the Fan Hall to find out about Sheng.But they also have a secret mission, which is to kill Sheng on the spot if they find out that Sheng has the intention of opposing Changzhou.
Fumsuke Odamura is a well-known swordsman in the Changzhou Domain.
"Is Mr. Sheng there?"
They stood at the temple gate to ask questions, and it was Ryoma who came out to deal with it. "Please." Longma said with a smile on his face.
The four were taken to the academy, and Ryoma also sat upright.The four of them were very nervous, and it could be seen from their eyes that they would draw their swords at each other whenever something happened.However, within half an hour, they were amused by Ryoma's joke, and finally laughed out loud, forgetting about the assassination.
"Hey, Mr. Sheng hasn't come back yet?"
"It's over there." Ryoma raised his chin and pointed in the direction of the eaves.
At some point, a forty-year-old man in a padded jacket was already sitting in the porch.
As always, Sheng told them about the situation in the world and the current situation in Japan, and it is foolish to analyze the barbarians in the Changzhou domain.
"Foreigners, I will explain."
The four were relieved and left happily.
Was Katsushi's trip to Nagasaki a success?
They have been in Nagasaki for more than a month.For Ryoma, this is not a short trip.But for Ryoma, who lives all over the world, this is nothing.His life is on the road.
Recently, Katsura used to meet with the British, American and Dutch consuls stationed in Nagasaki at the Tateyama Executive Office to explain and ask them to persuade their respective navies to give up the attack on Shimonoseki.
Everyone replied: "We are not belligerent either. We just want to ensure the safety of our ships sailing in the Shimonoseki Strait. It is very dangerous for the Changzhou Domain to shell our ships like this. Since the Japanese government cannot control the violent Changzhou Fan, we can only use force to ensure the safety of navigation."
"We will try our best to negotiate a solution, please wait another two months." Sheng even made a concession.
Soon, Dutch and British warships sailed into the port of Nagasaki.Katsuya negotiates with their captain.These captains are all soldiers, so their attitude is very tough. They insisted: "We were ordered to attack Shimonoseki. Victory or defeat is a common matter in military affairs. For us, there is no guarantee of life in this battle."
Katsushi reported these situations one by one to the shogunate dignitaries in Edo and Osaka.What he implied was that Changzhou should be persuaded to stop the attack from the standpoint of the Japanese government, and he could do it if he came forward.However, the people in the shogunate who saw all kinds of situations became more and more determined, that is: even to appease foreigners, the shogunate will use force against Changzhou.
A major turning point in the history of the Restoration—the shogunate's first Changzhou expedition gradually became a reality under this situation.
Sheng made the best effort, and the British and Dutch captains finally agreed: "We originally planned to go directly to Shimonoseki from Nagasaki, but now we will stop this plan and stop at Kanagawa, depending on your government's attitude towards Changzhou." Definitely." But they did not promise to stop the attack.
"Ryoma, that's the end of what I can do as a generation of warships. The rest depends on what those ministers do. I don't know if those incompetent people can handle it well."
Katsuki left Nagasaki and arrived in Kumamoto on the sixth day of April.
Ryoma stayed under Kumamoto Castle, and together with Sakuma Xiangshan, Katsu Kaishu and others met the famous Yokoi Kousu who discussed the current situation.
Katsu and Ryoma set off from Nagasaki on the fourth day of April in the first year of Genji.
"Let's go to Kumamoto," Katsu said.
It should be no official business for the shogunate quasi-warship to follow Katsu Rintaro to Higo Kumamoto Hosokawa.
There is a celebrity in Kumamoto named Yokoi Kousu.He is a good friend who agrees with Sheng, and he may be called the first-class commentator at that time.
"Go see Xiao Nan." Sheng said.
"Do you have anything to do with Mr. Xiao Nan?"
"No."
Sheng just wants Longma to meet Xiao Nan, and to open Longma's horizons.It can be said that victory is the "school" for cultivating Ryoma.The principal is Katsu, the only student is Ryoma, and the professors are all close friends of Katsu: the old feudal lord Matsudaira Haruyake of the Echizen Fukui Clan, the shogunate Okubo Kazuo, and Yokoi Kokusu of the Kumamoto Clan.
Ryoma took Sheng's recommendation letter and went to Fukui, Edo or Osaka to listen to the expert's words.There is always such a sentence written in Sheng's recommendation letter: "This person is really a man."
The implication is: he is a man, and he will definitely become a hero in the future.Please advise.
The thinking of these friends should be called "the theory of founding the country by the king of Qin". Different from those who are pure Zuo Mu and Qin Wang, they have a world perspective.They know Japan's position in the world situation, and they are also considering how to deal with it.In addition to Xiaonan, Katsu's brother-in-law Sakuma Xiangshan also holds this opinion.
Now Sheng took Ryoma to Yokoi Xiaonan's home and handed him over to Xiaonan.The next day, Katsuki went to Osaka alone.
Ryoma stayed at Yokoi Xiaokusu's house for a few days.
There is an anecdote about the two of them.
A few years later, Ryoma visited Yokoi Kousu again in Higo Kumamoto.At that time, it was when Ryoma was planning the biggest career in his life——to form the "League of Sa Chang", and he wanted to hear Xiao Nan's opinion.
Xiaonan entertains Longma with wine.It happened that there was a young young man at the table.He is Xiaonan's disciple, a native of Minamata Township in Higo, surnamed Defu, given name Yijing, and later named Qishui.This young man married Hisako Yajima, the daughter of a scholar from Mashiro County in the same clan, and had a son named Inoichiro, who was later renamed Su Feng.The second son, Kenjiro, was Ashika who later became a writer.
"The body is tall, but the skin is dark due to running around." Qi Shui once said to his two sons.
At that time, Xiao Nan lost power due to the coup in the vassal, deprived of his territorial salary and scholar status, and had nothing to do every day.At the banquet, Xiao Nan lamented that she could not spread her wings freely like a bird and plunge into the world.Longma listened and took a sip of wine. "Sir, you don't have to sigh." He smiled, "There are great events in the world, such as Xixiang and Okubo."
Ryoma didn't talk about himself.He implied that the three of them will handle the world's major affairs well.
Qishui was very surprised to hear such rhetoric from Longma.
"So what kind of character am I?" Yokoi Kousu asked.
"Sir, please sit on the tall building, drink wine with the beauties, and watch the big show."
Xiao Jie was very satisfied and clapped his hands and laughed.The country needs women.
Yokoi Kousu laughed at the barbarians at the end of the shogunate. He advocated the founding of the country to prosper industry, trade with foreign countries, make the country rich and the people strong, and then resist foreign aggression with a strong military force.However, as the name "Xiao Nan" indicates, he was an admirer of Da Nan Gong and respected the emperor.
Xiao Nan was surprised when he heard Long Ma's high opinion, and reminded: "Be careful not to be a traitor or a traitor to a hero."
It can be seen from Ryoma's notebook that perhaps Ryoma once told Xiaonan that he wanted an American-style republic as his ideal.
Perhaps it was for this reason that Xiao Nan reminded Ryoma.
"Sakamoto-kun, that's too advanced. It will be misunderstood by those radicals of the king."
Xiao Kusu was stabbed to death by the right wing as a Christian and a republican in the second year of Meiji.
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