Chapter 43 4. Change

Fast forward to September.Katsu Kaishu came to Osaka Castle as a warship.Sakamoto Ryoma has been running around.At the beginning of September, he went to the inn to visit Okubo Kazuo, the vassal minister who came to Osaka, and heard a very important news from Okubo: "Sheng will be punished." "Why?" "Because of you." Okubo said, knocking on the pipe.The senior official of the shogunate loved Ryoma very much. "because I?" "It's not all. It's because of you. Some students from the Kobe Academy participated in the Ikedaya Incident, and many people escaped from the academy to join the Changzhou Army during the Forbidden Gate Incident and participated in the battle in Kyoto. Therefore, there were some people in the Mukaku Impeaching Sheng as a shogunate minister but supporting the people who despised the shogunate caused a lot of quarrels."

"The world is unpredictable." Long Ma wiped his face, his palms were full of sweat.The most painful thing for him is to bring trouble to Sheng. "Sakamoto-kun, you're sweating." "This autumn tiger is really powerful." Ryoma picked up Okubo's fan beside him. "That's my fan." "I know." Ryoma waved his fan, "Is there no turning point for Mr. Sheng's affairs?" "My authority is limited, and I really can't do anything, but I don't think he should be cut into seppuku." "Haruki?" Ryoma snapped his fan shut, imitating the movement of harakiri, then tilted his head slightly and fell into deep thought.After a while, he suddenly laughed out loud, startling Okubo.

"What's going on?" Okubo couldn't help feeling displeased. "Seppuku is also good. Whether Sheng Haizhou's stomach is black or red, you can tell by cutting it open. I want to know too. I really want to go to the seppuku site to see it." "Hey, he's your teacher." "He is indeed my teacher. But Mr. Okubo..." Ryoma looked at the capable person in front of him.Okubo is smart, knowledgeable, and well versed in Western conditions, but judging from his lack of rescue efforts, he is just an ordinary person.Ryoma continued: "Sheng Haizhou is not just a shogunate, he is a hero that is rare in a hundred years. If the corrupt bureaucrats of the shogunate order such a person to commit seppuku, it will be a good show."

"Harukiri is just an analogy." Okubo showed a very unhappy expression, "Let's not talk about this for now. The clerks are holding you accountable. Now they are arresting the remnants of Changzhou and ronin in Kyoto and Osaka. It is reported that they will send The Shinsengumi is going to exterminate the Kobe Naval Academy, the lair of the ronin." "Poor Shinsengumi! Then I'll wait." Takamori Saigo has been in Kyoto.For some unknown reason, he sent an envoy with a letter to Osaka to find Sheng Haizhou, and politely asked when it would be convenient to meet.

"Then it will be September 11th." Sheng replied. This was the first meeting between Sheng and Xixiang, and the two became confidants for a century. In fact, the two met secretly three years ago, in June of the first year of Wenjiu.At that time, Sheng arrived in Kagoshima, and his entourage was Xin Guweng.After Katsu went to the island, he heard that Saigo had been sentenced to exile and was in Oshima, so he immediately hired a boat and went to Oshima with Shintani. It was already dusk when he boarded Oshima. When he arrived at Xixiang's residence, Katsura did not put on airs as a vassal minister, nor did he try to show his prestige. Instead, he said calmly and generously like a scholar: "I am Katsu Rintaro from Edo. I just want to say hello when I come here."

Xixiang replied very respectfully: "I am doing a good job." Then they began to chat. When it was time for dinner, the two chatted closely.Xingu Weng, who was always sitting next to him, couldn't understand what they were talking about at all, and the two of them talked like guessing riddles. That night Sheng and Xingu stayed.Early the next morning, Xixiang came to Sheng's room and said, "Mr. Sheng, let me show you my business." Xixiang took the two of them out of their residence and came to the coast, where they saw seven warehouses by the sea.Xixiang opened the warehouses one by one, all of which were smuggled weapons and ammunition.If this was discovered when the power of the shogunate was in full swing, the Shimadzu family, with a salary of more than 700,000 shi, would have been wiped out.

Satsuma had been secretly conducting smuggling trade without telling the shogunate.Until the middle period of the Tokugawa shogunate, the shogunate sent spies to sneak into Satsuma several times to inquire, but no one returned.They were all killed. On the way back, Haizhou said to Xin Guweng: "Although Xixiang's business is prohibited by the shogunate, it is for the country and has no malicious intentions, so it's okay. However, if you reveal this matter, you may risk your life." worry." Because of this, even after the success of the Restoration, Katsu never mentioned the meeting with Saigo in Oshima.

Xixiang now represents Satsuma, and meets with Sheng in order to ask the shogunate to conquer Changzhou quickly.He wanted to persuade the shogunate not to hesitate any longer, and to take advantage of Changzhou's vital energy to cut down the roots immediately, otherwise when they regained their vitality, they would definitely make a comeback. Xixiang's firm determination to eliminate Changzhou made even the shogunate and court who had always hated Changzhou feel terrified.However, such a person who firmly advocated the elimination of Changzhou took the twenty-four Changzhou people captured in the Battle of Hayumen into the Satsuma Mansion, treated them as honored guests, and finally sent them back secretly. Changzhou.The other Changzhou wounded soldiers in Kyoto were arrested and killed by the shogunate and various feudal clans.From this point of view, Xixiang's preferential treatment to Changzhou people is unprecedented.

Since the Warring States period, the Satsuma people have had the custom of treating captives preferentially. Perhaps Xixiang's practice stems from this habit, but it may also be because the Satsuma people are good at diplomacy.We all know that poor diplomacy is the weakness of the Japanese.Since ancient times, only the Satsuma people have been the exception. Their outstanding diplomatic ability even makes people suspect that they are another race. Xixiang and others are now sheltering the Changzhou prisoners with one hand, and threatening the shogunate with their swords: "Why don't you destroy Choshu?" In the future, we will join hands with Changzhou to overthrow the shogunate and lay the groundwork. This is like a game of national players, with foresight at every step.

In the battle of Sekigahara, both the Mori family and the Shimadzu family stood on the side of the defeated Western Army.After the war, Ieyasu wanted to convict and destroy the Mori family based on this.In fact, the Mori clan did not fire a single shot during the Battle of Sekigahara, and the Yoshikawa Hiro family, the Mori retainer, secretly communicated with the Eastern Army, but the Mori family's territory was still ruthlessly confiscated.The Mori family apologized in every possible way to Tokugawa, the former colleague, and finally retained a quarter of the territory. The feudal hall was also moved from Hiroshima to Hagi Castle on the coast of Japan, and the Mori family was preserved under such harsh conditions.Such clumsy effects are exactly the disaster caused by the diplomatic way of bowing their heads blindly.

In contrast to Shimadzu.After the Shimadzu people fled back to the vassal state, they immediately mobilized their troops and waited for the opportunity.At the same time, he sent his retainers to Kyoto to carry out a multi-party diplomacy, which finally made the Tokugawa family compromise, and finally did not cut an inch of land. The significant difference in diplomatic ability between Satsuma and Choshu became more apparent at the end of the Bakumura.Compared with Satsuma people, Changzhou people are like children.Among the Satsuma people, Saigo's diplomatic ability is extraordinary.It was this Xixiang who was going to visit Sheng now. Xixiang has a rare burly figure.Shintaro Nakaoka, a Tosa native, said in a letter to comrades in his hometown: "It is by no means inferior to the key stone of Gomen." Gomen is a small town in Kochi East, where there is a very famous strongman named Kaname.Nakaoka said in the letter that Saigo and Kaiseki were on par, and the Tosa samurai who had read the letter would probably be surprised. "This man is knowledgeable, courageous, reticent, but the most thoughtful. He is good at inferring, and his occasional words can really reach people's heart. He is virtuous and convincing. He has endured hardships and is experienced in dealing with things. His honesty is like Wushi Banping Tai, knowledgeable There is. A person who has the unity of knowledge and action. He is also the number one hero in Western Japan." The big Han Saigo wears a kimono with a family crest, looks dignified, and shows the demeanor of Satsuma's important minister in every gesture.Katsu's physique is smaller than average.After the two sat down with proper appearances, the sharp contrast of their bodies couldn't help but make people feel very funny. Xixiang opened his mouth and said, "With all due respect, I came this time to reprimand the shogunate for its indecision." Saigo criticized the fact that the shogunate did not act at all even though it publicly stated that it would conquer Choshu.He wanted to use this kind of remarks to test the true meaning of Muge. Saigo's fierce interrogation is like shooting a gun in battle to expose the enemy's hiding place. "Your Excellency is right." Sheng changed to a casual sitting position.This man who is proficient in strategy immediately saw through Xixiang's thoughts.He did not conceal it on purpose, but directly responded to Xixiang, telling the situation of Mu Pavilion clearly: "Mug Pavilion sounds very majestic, but there is not a single good thing in it. Although Lao Zhong and Ruo Nianji are in important positions, they don't know the current situation." World. This time the forbidden door changed, the radical ronin joined the Changzhou army and died on the battlefield, and those who survived were so frightened that they could not make a comeback. The Muge was overjoyed when he saw this, thinking that the world would be peaceful from now on .They are such a bunch of incompetent people." Xixiang gasped, he did not expect to hear such fierce and direct words from the mouth of the shogunate's warship. "Nowadays there is nothing more difficult to deal with than senior officials of the shogunate." Sheng said, "They cover each other and are very sophisticated. Do you understand?" "Understood." Saigo replied respectfully. "The leader of this group of people, I'm afraid the old middle-aged man, Inaba Mamoru. For example, if I make a suggestion, he will never object. But if you think that if you don't object, you will implement it, you are wrong. He will do it. Put on a nonchalant look. Once your claim is not beneficial to him, he will immediately send you away." Saigo was taken aback, the shogunate was the government of Japan after all.Xixiang is not extreme, he wanted to try his best to help the shogunate save the country.The straightforward justice in the man in front of him made his blood boil. "Mr. Sheng, why don't you get rid of such a treacherous person? Is there no way?" "It's easy to get rid of a villain. But after getting rid of him, who can stand up for him and shoulder the fate of the country? Looking at the current atmosphere of the shogunate, I'm afraid there is no cure." "In that case, how about having the assistance of Liefan?" "Useless." Pop!Sheng killed the mosquito on his neck. "If someone goes to the cabinet and says that Satsuma has put forward such and such an opinion, those cabinet officials will think that this person must have been bewitched by Satsuma, and they will definitely find a way to remove him from office. No matter how much the vassals help, it will be a waste of effort .” Xixiang could no longer contain his anger. "If at this time we also encountered the same situation as the Qing Dynasty, the great powers formed a coalition army and drove warships to approach Osaka Bay, and then occupied Kyoto, what would happen?" "If the fate of Japan is in the hands of the current shogunate, Japan will perish." Shogun Katsuki said. "Is there no good plan?" "Yes." Sheng said, in today's world, there are four or five virtuous princes, namely Shimadzu Hisamitsu of Satsuma, Yamazotodo of Tosa, Matsudaira Harutake of Echizen, and Date Zongjo of Iyo Uwajima.If they lead their vassal troops to Beijing to meet the alliance, station in Daban Bay with enough troops to deter foreign ships, open the two ports of Yokohama and Nagasaki, and conduct all foreign negotiations in the name of the alliance of various vassals, in this way, foreign countries will instead Be afraid. "Alliance of the feudal lords." Xixiang muttered softly, holding his breath: This is a coup d'état! In short, Katsushi's opinion is: "Negiate the shogunate, and hand over Japan's diplomatic and military power to the alliance of powerful feudal clans." In short, this meeting with Katsuki allowed Saigo to establish his worldview and new nation theory for the first time.Great win.Xixiang thought to himself, as a shogunate, he rejected the shogunate so simply. "The so-called shogunate is nothing more than temporarily borrowed clothes. Take off these clothes, what is left is still a good Japan. Isn't it natural to think about the rise and fall of Japan?" "It makes sense!" Xixiang greatly agreed.But at this moment, no one knows what he was thinking in his heart.Later, he launched the Southwest War, and throughout his life, he failed to get Satsuma out of his mind.Considering only Japan, this is impossible for a person like Xixiang who is too temperamental. However, Muchen Sheng has reached a level that ordinary people can hardly reach.Xixiang Takamori was shocked and sighed.On the fifth day after his meeting with Sheng, that is, September 16th of the first year of Yuanzhi, he told his ally Okubo Izzo of his shock in a letter. "When I met Katsushi for the first time, I was amazed. Katsuki was resourceful and heroic. His character was better than that of Sakuma Xiangshan, and his knowledge and insight were even more impressive. I was deeply impressed." During the meeting, Xixiang didn't even bother to drink tea. When leaving, Sheng said to Xixiang, "I know an interesting person." "Oh?" Nowadays, not only Xixiang, but all ambitious people are looking for talents to make friends with.Xixiang's eyes lit up immediately. "who is it?" "From Tuzhou, called Sakamoto Ryoma, I have the opportunity to introduce you to each other." "Please." After Xixiang finished speaking, he left. Shortly thereafter, Ryoma told Katsu: "I'm going to Kyoto to investigate." Katsu suggested that he go to the Satsuma clan's mansion in Nishinokoji and meet Saigo for a while. Although Sheng pretended nothing had happened, the meeting and acquaintance of these two people made history undergo a great change. Katsuki is obviously very serious, but he can't put on a serious face, he can only use sarcasm, irony and pranks to cover up his seriousness. "He's a big guy." After talking and laughing, that's all about Xixiang.Ryoma also found it funny and laughed. Bring the two together, let them wrestle when the time is right, and then turn Japan upside down. I don't know if Sheng has such a plan.Sheng is like an elf.He has a mischievous vigor, boundless wisdom, and the ability to think beyond the standpoint of the vassals.And although he is in the trend, he has insight into the direction that only God knows.Not only that, but he also discovered the two "switchers" Ryoma and Saigo, and it was very natural for them to meet each other. Ryoma set off for Kyoto, accompanied by only Fujibei, who was in bed. "I heard that Kyoto was burned down by fire." Fujibei said on the boat.The boat sailed through the night on the Yodo River. "And it is said that ronin are being hunted everywhere. You must be extremely careful, this is a matter of life." It was already dawn when the boat arrived at the Fushimi Temple farmhouse.Ryoma jumped ashore, and suddenly saw a row of lanterns from the enforcement office on the left side of the road, and a row of lanterns from the Shinsengumi on the right. It seemed that a lot of people were dispatched from each. They are watching the ronin entering Beijing.Especially when they met Changzhou rogues, they were arrested without any explanation, and those who drew their swords were killed on the spot. "What's your name? Where is Renshi?" Someone asked immediately.The concentricity of the members of the Shinsengumi and the Fushimi Magistracy also came from the left and right sides. Ryoma has been using the pseudonym "Saiya Umetaro" since he left the feudal domain, and the customs clearance document reads "Katsuan Boshounai". "What are you doing in Beijing?" "This..." Ryoma raised his chin and pointed to the opposite side.Opposite is the Terada House Inn, and there is a woman standing at the door, it is Aaron.She looked at Ryoma with fiery eyes. "To meet my woman." Long Ma dropped these words, walked to Aaron's side, and hugged her, ignoring the eyes of the people around him.Who would pick up a girl on the street in broad daylight? "The rogue doesn't know how to be polite, and the girl is so shameless." The passing businessman spat. Looking at Aaron again, he was really generous, not shy, and stared at Longma affectionately, letting Longma hug her.This is also Aaron's style. "Aaron." Long Ma lifted her over his head and said, "I haven't seen you for a long time, but I haven't forgotten you. I, whenever I have time, I think of your name." "name?" "Your name is very similar to mine, so it's troublesome. I want you to change your name, so I'm desperately trying to figure out if there's anything good about it." "Think about it?" "Think about it. How's it going, Chizi?" "How to write it?" Aaron asked with a smile and tilted his head.She was originally a woman who didn't care about other people's eyes. She completely ignored the crowd watching the excitement around her, and was immersed in the two-person world between her and Ryoma. "There is a word C next to the word leather." "Okay." Aaron gracefully brought the toes of the two hanging feet together. Ryoma wasn't joking, this was indeed the name he racked his brains to come up with.From this day on, Aaron changed his name to Qiaozi.But Ryoma, who asked her to change her name, still called her Aaron, so the new name was useless. The Shinsengumi and the Magistrate looked at all this blankly.Ryoma turned to them, said "Farewell", then lowered his head gently, carried Aaron to the opposite intersection, turned and walked into the alley, and did not put Aaron down until he reached the back door of Terada House.He managed to get rid of the gang. "Oops. They're out of sight." "Did you let me down because you couldn't see it?" "Hmm." Ryoma rubbed his nose with his hands, and looked at the expression on his face, as if he had thrown Aaron out of the blue, turned and entered the back door.The door is the bathroom.Ryoma quickly took off his underwear and jumped in naked.As soon as he jumped in, he immediately shouted: "Madam Dengshi, Aaron, why is the water so cold?" Dengshi hurried over. "Oh, isn't this Mr. Sakamoto? When did you come?" "Hurry up and heat the water." "You mean the bath water? I'll burn it for you. I haven't seen you for so long, so I'm so worried! There are rumors that you died in Ikeda House, and some say that you died in battle, You have no idea how worried we are." "That's why I'm here. Please heat up the water." Aaron squatted by the stove and kept adding firewood to the stove, and the bath finally started to heat up. Ryoma jumped in again, finally feeling a little warm. "Aaron, you really know how to boil bath water, and you are also good at making fire." "People say I'm doing a good job." "Otome sister is the same way. People who say that these two things are good are smart." "yes?" "However, this kind of woman is too strong, and most of them are wild girls who can't get married." Hearing what Ryoma said, Aaron immediately sullenly. "Because my sister and you are heroines who can neither sew nor cook." "Mr. Sakamoto," Toshi came over and reprimanded, "Please ask someone to boil water for your bath, how can you speak ill of him like that? Really." "Toshi, Mochizuki Kameta and Kitazo Jima are both dead. In the past three or four months, Tosa has lost twenty people." "I've heard that too. When will such a day end?" "I will end it all. But, Aaron, the turbulent waves of the times have just begun. The foreigners have already arrived at our gate. The Qing Dynasty has even occupied the capital. Those guys traveled across the ocean and landed on our territory. Now it is only a hundred miles away from Kyoto. If you continue to be confused, the day will not be far when the barbarians support the emperor and give orders to the world." Perhaps it was the water that made Ryoma sober, but today he talked a lot. Teradaya is a hotel frequented by Satsuma people, and Tose is naturally very aware of the situation. "I heard that the Changzhou Domain was attacked by a barbarian fleet. It is very miserable." "Changzhou is too pitiful. Just after losing the battle at Hayumen, the four-nation fleet attacked, and Shimonoseki was bombarded. It can be said that it can only be slaughtered. The Satsuma people seem to be indifferent, but they are actually observing the world. situation." "What about Tuzhou?" "The lord is extremely smart but arrogant and conceited, suppressing correct speech, so the samurai left the domain one after another. They went to Changzhou and Kyoto, and whenever something happened, a group would fall down. The streets and alleys were full of vagrants from Tuzhou. Corpses. If their sacrifices are not rewarded, the heroic spirits may become wraiths, wandering between the heaven and the earth." Ryoma changed the subject. "Tengshi, Takamori Saigo of Satsuma, do you know?" "It's more than knowing that just the day before yesterday, he took a nice bath in the bath you took in, Mr. Sakamoto." "In this bath?" Ryoma suddenly felt familiar with Saigo. After washing away the dust and exhaustion of the journey, Ryoma borrowed Toshi's room to sleep soundly for the whole day, only waking up at dusk. "Is Fujibei back?" He asked Aaron.Before going to bed, he asked Fujibei to check the situation in various streets and intersections in Kyoto. Kyoto is under martial law.The guardian of Kyoto, Matsudaira Yohoho, sent 1,000 soldiers from the Aizu clan, plus 500 soldiers from the Shinsengumi, Mihui group, and the Kuwana clan on behalf of the Kyoto Governor, and officials from the Kyoto Magistrate, to hunt down the remnants of Changzhou soldiers and prevent suspicious wanderers from entering Beijing. The appalling secret order of "beheading suspicious persons" was issued. It is said that Gui Xiaowulang, a native of Changzhou, failed to escape from Kyoto, so he had to disguise himself as a beggar and live under the three bridges.When this clever man walked through the fireworks alley in Pontocho and Sanppongi in the middle of the night, he pretended to be a blind masseur playing the flute, and fled to Otsu dressed as a bearer wrapped only in a crotch cloth.There he lived in a beggar's shack by the side of the road.His mistress Jimatsu came all the way from Kyoto to find him here, and soon after the two met, he disguised himself as a businessman and fled to Tajima.After arriving in Tajima, he kept changing his residence until the new year came. Soon, Fujibei returned. "Master, it's too dangerous, even an ant can't get in." He said.This time, I am afraid that the only way to return to Osaka obediently is the best policy. "I'm going." Ryoma said calmly.After the fall of Changzhou, the power of the shogunate quickly recovered, and it became more and more brutal. The land of the royal city became the nest of the Saba faction.You must witness this scene with your own eyes. Ryoma's innate love for proof drives Ryoma to do so.According to his temperament, unless he saw and heard it with his own eyes, he couldn't think about it, let alone design a blueprint for the future world.In this regard, Sakamoto Ryoma is very different from other idealists who like to dream. "Why do you want to go so much?" "There is a woman named Tian He over there." Aaron raised his head. "I'm very worried about her. I don't know how she is doing now. I'm afraid the house has been burned down." "But, Miss Tianhe..." Aaron said, "She is the elder sister of the Tosa family. For such a blessed person, the Tosa Domain must take good care of her." So why worry?Aaron then showed a sad expression. Fujihei couldn't stand it anymore, and said, "Who do you like? Is it Ms. Sanako from Edo, Ms. Tianzuru from Kyoto, or Ms. Along?" "Don't meddle in other people's business." Ryoma lowered his face, "I like them all." "That can't be done. You have to be careful. If you like everyone, you don't like it at all. To like someone is to treat only one person recklessly in this world. Miss Aaron, why didn't you let the master like you?" Fuck you." Fujibei thumped his cigarette pouch. At dinner, hot wine was served.Deng Shi and Aaron took turns pouring wine for Ryoma, and Ryoma got a little drunk unconsciously. "It's weird, I'm actually drunk." It's really weird.Ryoma is not a good drinker, but he can drink a lot, and a mere liter of wine is usually nothing to worry about. "Fujibei, sing a song." "Then I'll make a fool of myself." Fujibei has a thick and moving voice, and it's not an exaggeration to say that he can make a living from it. "Grandpa, please play the shamisen." "Okay." Ryoma picked up the shamisen beside him.His piano skills were trained by Otome, which is not bad for laymen.To the accompaniment of his shamisen, Fujibei sang two or three pieces. While playing the shamisen, Ryoma thought, how will he enter Beijing tomorrow?Even an ant can't get into Kyoto now, so how can a famous ronin like me pass through smoothly? "Aaron," Ryoma threw the shamisen aside, "Let's do a happy dance. You play the piano." "Do you know about watching dance?" "It's more than knowing that my dance was learned locally in Nagasaki." Seeing Aaron picking up Yueqin, Longma stood up, pulled up the hem of his clothes and tucked it in, and jumped up singing "Look, Nine Rings of Giving Nu...". This is a show brought by the Qing people in Nagasaki to add to the fun, and it is very popular from Kyoto to Edo.The accompaniment is also the yueqin, a musical instrument of the Qing Dynasty, and it happens that Aaron is the best at playing the yueqin. The dragon horse danced and sang. Playful with a touch of sadness, Ryoma likes it very much. "That's right!" Long Ma suddenly stopped dancing and clapped his hands. "Tomorrow, let's have a look at the dance and file into the capital. How about it? Aaron, bring Yueqin and go to Kyoto with me tomorrow." "Don't call me Aaron all the time, I'm a jerk. Obviously you changed my name for me." "That's right, son." Long Ma suddenly sat on the ground, feeling drunk for a moment. "Sleeping." He lay down carelessly, snoring like thunder. Dengshi asked Ryoma to occupy the room, so he had to rest in Aaron's room. "Aaron," she stretched out her hand to pull the cigarette tray beside the pillow, and asked, "Is he really going to the capital?" "probably." "It's dangerous." Dengshi stuffed some tobacco into the pipe, did not ignite it, just held the pipe, lost in thought. Aaron looked at her beautiful side face in a daze. "If I were his lover, I would definitely not let him go." Dengshi hinted that Aaron stopped Ryoma.What Aaron cared about was the word "lover". "Mr. Sakamoto likes the proprietress. I think so. He once said that the proprietress has the same temper as his otome sister, so he has no ordinary feelings for you." "What a silly girl, he meant that I was like his relatives." Dengshi was a little flustered, "I treat him like my brother. How old am I? Three years old... no, About five years old." Dengshi was silent.After a while, she suddenly laughed and said, "What a weird person—he used to always say Miss Tianhe to me, but later he said that there is no girl like Sanako from Chiba's family. Now, it's you He said that although you don’t know how to do needlework, you can play the Yueqin well, and you dare to go to Osaka to teach those rascals a lesson. He likes all these places of yours very much.” "Ma'am, your cigarettes..." Aaron reminded her.Dengshi has been smoking his unlit pipe with all his might. "Oh, look at my brain." She smiled and covered it up.But Aaron knew best in his heart that Dengshi had special feelings for Longma. "Aaron, I, the proprietress of the wharf inn who works from dawn to dusk, has one of the best skills." "What's the matter?" "Fall asleep quickly. Once I fall asleep, even if the thief shakes me hard, I won't be able to wake up." "Oh." Aaron smiled. "When I fall asleep, Aaron, you can go wherever you want. You can also tell him how dangerous Kyoto is now. You should tell him. But you have to go to him after I fall asleep, and You must come back quietly before I wake up. Well, before I know it." Dengshi quickly heard the deep and even breathing sound that only after a deep sleep.Aaron couldn't fall asleep anyway. When you can't fall asleep, don't think about anything in your head, and breathe with the soles of your feet, so that you can fall asleep.Ryoma had told her so.Does it really work?Aaron pulled the quilt over his face, stretched his feet quietly, and tried to adjust his breathing. Hate!I'm still breathing through my chest.Can you breathe through the soles of your feet?But Mr. Sakamoto will not lie.Thinking of this, she took a big breath, and then tried to let the breath out from the soles of her feet.Or not. "Anyway, I want to hold this kind of mood." She changed her mind and said to herself, "I'm breathing through the soles of my feet." Then, desperately focused on the soles of my feet.But the more she did this, the hotter she felt.In the end she even felt her heart was going to jump out of her throat. It's a wonderful mood.It was the first time she felt this way.She finally couldn't take it anymore.It is not easy to do nothing in your head.There are dragon horses here.The dragon horse seemed to fill Aaron's entire body.Aaron lifted the quilt, I'm going to Mr. Sakamoto's room. Once the critical moment came, Aaron would become a girl who would surprise even himself.She would not reflect on whether it was appropriate for a girl to take the initiative to go to a man's bedroom. She said "I'm sorry" softly to Deng Shi's sleeping face, then quietly walked around the corner of the quilt and came to the porch. She stopped in front of Ryoma's room, squatted down and opened the lattice door, and quickly entered the room.She no longer considered whether she would be rejected by Ryoma.Back then, Aaron, who had chased after him to Osaka and slapped the rascal and snatched back his sister who was almost sold into a prostitute, is now standing alive in the darkness, breathing. "Mr. Sakamoto, I'm Aaron. I'm here." Aaron said bluntly. Ryoma was lying on the futon.The moment the lattice door opened, he opened his eyes and reached out to grab the knife beside the pillow.He let go of the knife and said, "So it's Aaron." After speaking, he turned over, lay on his side, and started snoring again. Hearing Ryoma's snoring, Aaron was suddenly discouraged.But since he has sneaked up to this point regardless of shame, how can he go back to the house? "Mr. Sakamoto." Aaron made up his mind.She kneeled beside Ryoma, put her hands on the quilt, and shook Ryoma vigorously. "What's wrong?" Ryoma opened his eyes in surprise. "I can't sleep. Mr. Sakamoto once taught me the method of breathing with the soles of the feet. I tried to do it, but the more I followed it, the more I couldn't sleep." The tone seemed to be responsible for Ryoma, but she could only find This one reason. "Is your method wrong?" Ryoma said lazily. "But, it just doesn't work!" Aaron went all out.There was already anger in her eyes, but the room was pitch black and Ryoma couldn't see it. "I can't sleep no matter what, Mr. Sakamoto." "What's the matter?" "It doesn't work, it doesn't work! The soles of the feet don't work at all." "Okay." Ryoma made up his mind.As long as you are not a fool, you will understand Aaron's thoughts. "I'll hold you to sleep. Come in." "is it okay?" "Don't talk. From this moment on, don't talk." Aaron couldn't wait to get into Ryoma's bed. Ryoma put his arms around Aaron's waist, letting her cling to him.Aaron couldn't help trembling, his teeth chattering constantly. "Aaron." "Please call me my wife." "You are finally going to be my woman." Ryoma seemed to be sighing. "Isn't that what you expected?" "Well. I'm thinking of other things, though. I'm not going to have just one wife in my life. I still think so." "why?" "I've said it before. People with great ambitions should disappear without a trace whenever they disappear from this world." "Well, didn't you just say that you are not allowed to speak?" "Ah, I said it. I forgot. There is no need to think about the matter of men and women at this point." A few dogs barked in the distance. Longma reached out and untied Aaron's belt, and Aaron felt a burst of fear. "etc." "Just say some unreasonable things." Long Ma smiled, "Aaron, your clothes have been opened, and the matter has come to this point, no matter what, you can't wait anyway. You are so ridiculous, but I..." Aaron also found it a little ridiculous, and started giggling.With such a smile, I don't feel scared anymore, my whole body relaxes, and I can't help but close my eyes. Before dawn, Aaron quietly returned to his room, and Dengshi slept soundly. sorry!Aaron apologized to the sleeping Dengshi, and got into his bed.But she couldn't sleep. She covered her head with a quilt and closed her eyes, but tears kept streaming down her face.Women are amazing.Just now, she completed the transformation from a girl to a woman.But what made her feel even more incredible was that she felt that her previous self was like a silhouette painting, a memory of the distant past.What's going on here?not understand.Aaron bit the corner of the quilt, resisting himself to make a sound, and wept silently.She seemed to enjoy crying.Crying and crying, a kind of sweet and sour sadness inexplicably permeated her, making her unable to extricate herself.My own past has been torn apart and become a silhouette.Is this sadness a farewell to the past?Not only that, but she had a brand new feeling that she was no longer the lonely Aaron in the world, but Aaron who was a dragon horse gained a new life.She is no longer alone. I am his woman.Aaron wanted to shout out loud.She was venting the urge by crying. However, Ryoma might find it troublesome... That's okay, no matter what he says, she has already become his woman.This will not change. Aaron stopped crying, because the surroundings suddenly brightened.Suddenly, a light came on in the house. "What's the matter?" Dengshi sat beside the lamp and asked, "Did you have a nightmare?" Aaron shook his head.Deng Shi stared at her for a while, and she was smart enough to vaguely guess what happened. "Have Mr. Sakamoto loved you?" "Yeah." Aaron nodded shyly. "How wonderful. In my opinion, Sakamoto Ryoma can be regarded as the number one man in Japan. You have already obtained the happiness that women all over the world envy. But..." "But what?" "Your life will no longer be peaceful." "I'm ready." "I said the following words out of jealousy. Remember, you must not be his burden. If you drag him down, I will stop you as a woman who loves him." "Sir, breakfast is ready. It's in the Hamaya on the second floor." It wasn't Aaron who greeted Ryoma in the corridor, but a young maid. "Oh, I've been waiting for a long time." Ryoma jumped up, came to the corridor before washing his face, and climbed up to the second floor in three steps. Whether it is the boarded account room or the stairs, they are all the old traces left by the previous Teradaya incident, and have been soaked in the blood of countless Satsuma patriots. The room at the end of the stairs in the store is called Hamaya.The room faces the seashore, and you can lean on the railing and overlook the pedestrians passing by. “天晴了。”龙马心想着今天无论如何也要上京，坐了下来。 侍候他用餐的正是阿龙。她低着头，不敢正视龙马，脸一直红到了耳朵根儿。“怎么？今天的早餐是竹荚鱼干和干烧秋前子啊。” 龙马不太爱吃干货，可是在海鲜并不多见的京都和伏见，这已经算是美味了。 “莫非您不爱吃鱼干？” “咬起来太费劲了。”龙马毕竟生长在海边，没怎么吃过晒干的鱼。“在我的家乡土佐高知，只要到海边就能看到活蹦乱跳的鱼，还有鲸鱼。” "Liar!" “怎会骗你！鲸鱼一旦误入湾内，渔民们便会出动比平时多好几倍的船，呐喊着前去捕携。在海边，还有人一口咬住西瓜大小的生鱼，结果弄得满脸是血呢。” “哎呀呀。”仿佛听到了蛮人的故事，在京都长大的阿龙感到有些可怕，“所以土佐人大都脾气暴烈吗？” “啊呀，土佐也很广阔呢。前不久在蛤御门战死的那须俊平所在的村子便在深山中，到了冬天就大雪封山，那里的人一辈子没见过大海。还有许多地方在山与海之间。山里的土佐人虽然不捕鲸，却要打野猪，所以他们身手敏捷，脾气也很暴躁。” “那个，您再多吃一些吧……这可是我好不容易才做出来的。” “怎么？这是你亲手做的？” “是的。天还没亮就起来做。” “哦？”龙马倒也吃了一惊。这在不擅长做饭的阿龙来说可算是煞费苦心之举了，不过仅仅是烤了鱼干，煮了茄子。 龙马撕下一块鱼干，放到嘴里。阿龙紧紧盯着他的嘴，眼神仿佛在问：“好吃吗？” “嗯，好吃！”龙马有些可怜地说，将口中那块咸咸的鱼干咽了下去，“随我一同上京吧。这就去准备一下。” "Be careful on the road." 寺田屋的屋檐下，登势送别了龙马一行三人。再看这三个人，活脱脱一幅画：一个是异常高大的浪人，头戴时下流行的韭山斗笠；浪人身后跟着一位怀抱月琴的姑娘，姑娘的美貌足以让路人驻足回首，流连忘返；浪人左边，是一个行商打扮的男子，健步如飞，威风凜凜，一看就知道是习惯了行路之人。 伏见是个繁华之都，有住户六千六百五十六家，仅城里的寺庙便有一百五十座，差不多每座寺庙里都有从京都逃出来的难民，因此人口陡然增加了许多。再加上路上行人如织，其繁华景象仿佛整座城市都在喧哗。 “快看他们。”路人全都瞪着龙马等人。 走在前头的龙马将左手揣在怀里，边走边哼唱着看看舞的曲调。身后的阿龙虽然并没有用月琴伴奏，可是因为抱着琴，乍一看去，颇像是来壮大声势的。“爷，怪不好意思的。”藤兵卫在一旁看得目瞪口呆。 说话间来到了烟花柳巷。这里有几家当街的妓馆，里面有价钱便宜的妓女。每家妓馆都挂着长长的竹帘，女人会从竹帘后面走出来，拉扯过路人的衣袖。她们大都身穿青梅产的条纹布棉祆，戴着黑天鹅绒衬领，脸涂抹得活像一堵白墙。 “喂，大哥。”一个女人叫住了龙马。 “怎么了？我们是在长崎训练过的看看舞艺人。要我们在门前唱一曲吗？” “你说的是真的？”女人似乎信以为真了，“腰佩双刀的卖艺人倒是真少见啊。” 龙马绕过女人，继续向前走。不多久，三人进入京都境内，来到了方广寺前。龙马心中暗叫不好。只见寺门前的竹竿上高高挂着几盏灯笼，灯笼上印的是三叶柏家纹。 土佐的藩主进京了。由于河原町藩府狭小，便借了这个地方暂作停留。 “龙马！喂，这不是龙马吗？”从门里走出一个威风凜凜的武士，叫住龙马。龙马停住脚步，转过身。 虽说是土佐，可是对于龙马这个脱藩之人来说，绝非友方，甚至可以说是敌人。一直以来，藩中负责监视的官吏一旦发现龙马，就会立即把他抓起来。 “是我。”武士向他们靠过来。此人剃着干净的武士头，腰间佩打造精巧的长短双刀。是一个身份非比寻常的上士。他年纪尚轻，面貌端正，腰腿敏捷。“你忘了吗？我是乾退助啊。” 退助与后藤象二郎一起深得老藩公容堂信任，奉容堂之命负责将土佐藩兵改造成西洋式，是藩中的高官。 退助和后藤象二郎在高知城中比邻而居。二人自幼便是让大人束手无策的顽童，打起架来无人能敌。他小时有洁癖，总是不停地洗手。有一次和后藤打架，他知道后藤害怕蛇，便在怀里塞了一条青蛇。当二人扭打成一团时，他把蛇甩到了后藤脸上。后藤吓得昏厥过去。后藤没有就此罢休，他决心报仇。他看准了退助有洁癖，把退助叫了出来，向他身上投掷粪便。这下退助不得不求饶。 如今退助是上士中唯一的一位勤王之士，多年来一直对龙马怀有好感。 “你不会把我忘了吧？”退助道，“以前，上士和乡士大打出手的时候，我曾经和你在五台山的沼泽地打过一架，我还对你拔剑相向，最后被你打翻在地。” "Can not remember." 龙马一向对上士没有好感，他板着一张脸，转身便要走。可是退助像狗一样跟了上去。他追上龙马，道：“我一向敬重你。” 退助也算名门之后，而且深得容堂信任，将来会肩负重任。像这般权门子弟，对一介乡士之子如此态度，可谓前所未有。不仅如此，龙马乃是脱藩亡命的罪人。按理说，这个时候，退助应该将龙马缉拿归案才是。 “怎么想起来京都了？”身形稍小的退助抬头望着龙马问道。 “想来，就来了。”龙马冷冰冰地答道，并没有放慢脚步。 “我对你没有恶意。难得我一路追着，至少也要露个笑脸吧。” “丑话说在前头，我这个人啊，”斗笠下，龙马露出了少见的笑容，道，“我并不是个好恶分明的人。不过要说在这个世上有什么东西令我厌恨，那便是土佐的上士。” “龙马，你说的我都明白。请你理解我，我和他们不一样。” 退助天生反骨。不管在哪里，即便是长州、萨摩，上士都是保守的佐幕派，这是铁的规律。人一旦置身于优越的环境，必定会维持现状。唯有退助不同。 乾退助此来京都是有事情。他奉藩命研究西洋骑兵，也负责操练。只要一有时间，他就会带上几个骑兵四处巡查，熟悉地形。照目前的形势，迟早会天下大乱。人们必定会起兵讨伐幕府。此时操练便是为将来积蓄力量。可以说，纯粹从军事角度研究进攻江户城的，世间恐怕只有退助一人。只是以他的身份，绝对不能将这番心事告诉老藩公容堂，况且身边的上士又都是佐幕的，更不能向人透露一分。这几年来，他对坂本龙马十分仰慕，听说龙马奔走天下，他便一直期待某一天能够和龙马相逢。没想到如今会在方广寺门前偶遇。 “京都太危险了。虽然不知道你要去哪里，但是我会陪着你。就算幕府官吏来了，只要身边有我，他们便不敢把你怎么样。对了，”他突然转变了话题，“你可知道福冈田鹤小姐的音信？” “田鹤小姐？”龙马不禁一惊，“你知道她的消息？” "Know." 退助不愧是练兵之人。他知道龙马的痛处。他听说了龙马与田鹤小姐的传闻。而且二人的恋情被人们描绘成一个凄美的故事，均说二人由于身份悬殊，才最终没能结为夫妻。 “她在京都可平安？”也难怪龙马首先询问她的安危。蛤御门之变的战火烧了大半个京城。田鹤小姐所在的三条家恐怕也无法幸免于难。 “房子被烧了。”退助道。 “她应该没事吧？” 毕竟公卿三条家身后有土佐这个大藩，而且三条家上一代主人实万卿的遗孀信受院，又是出身土佐山内家，山内夫人正姬是三条家的养女。这可是亲上加亲，就算三条家被烧毁了，土佐藩也决不会弃之不顾。 “为什么不说话？”龙马定睛看着退助，“说话！” “莫急莫急。田鹤小姐毫发未损，信受院夫人也平安无事，只是事情有些不好办。” “土佐藩理应将她们接到藩府啊。” “不，土佐藩没有收留她们。”退助说，即便是想收留她们，也由于时下的政局无法行动。 三条家年轻的主人三条实美卿是一位极端激进的勤王之士，是长州派公卿的领袖。不仅如此，在去年八月的七公卿流放事件中，他亡命长州，官位被削，现在已经与朝廷断绝了关系。再加上今年夏天长州闯入京都皇宫，掀起战乱，沦为了朝廷的敌人。如此一来，三条家在京都的家人处境自然愈发艰难。 “龙马，目前京都的形势已然陡变。长州成了逆贼。亡命长州的三条实美卿也就自然而然地成了逆臣，三条家的人便被当做逆臣的家人了。” “混账！” “这就是现实。土佐藩那些顽固守旧的重臣，害怕得罪幕府，拒绝收留三条家留在京都的家人。” “那他们岂不是成了无家可归的难民？” “莫慌莫慌。土佐已经和武市活跃的时候不同了，现在天下摇身一变成了佐幕派说话的时候。莫要说信受院夫人和田鹤小姐，就连夫人也陷入了窘境。”退助所说的夫人，是年轻的现任藩主丰范的夫人。这位夫人从长州的毛利家嫁过来。 “因为顾忌幕府，主公已经休掉了夫人，说夫人的娘家是毛利家。” 田鹤小姐的境况究竟如何呢？龙马心中愈紧。“土佐藩佐幕一事我已清楚了。要紧的是田鹤小姐现在身在何处？” “与信受院夫人一起暂住在嵯蛾大觉寺旁边的农家。” “生计如何维持？土佐藩应该会暗地里资助她们吧？” “藩里现在连这个也不敢管了。” “乾退助！”龙马一把抓住退助的衣袖，突然将手伸进他怀中，嗖地掏出了他的钱袋，简直就像拦路抢劫。 “你、你做什么？” “退助，拜托了！请你原谅。这些钱暂时借我用用，我现在是身无分文的脱藩浪人。虽然听你说了三条家的困境，也束手无策。” “吓死我了。”退助掏出手帕擦了擦脸上的汗。 龙马将寝待藤兵卫叫到身边，又从退助口中打听到田鹤在嵯峨农家的住处，吩咐道：“把这个送到那户农家，就说是乾退助给的钱。明天，我们在河原町的书坊菊屋碰头。” “遵命！”藤兵卫说完这两个字，便不再做声。龙马抢夺钱袋时漂亮的身手让他这个行家佩服得五体投地。“爷，您刚才那一招……已经在小的之上了。”他在龙马耳边悄声说完，立刻往嵯蛾方向飞奔而去。 退助讲了土佐藩的内情，还把京都各藩的动向等龙马最想了解的情况悉相告知。“只有萨摩的动向仍然是个谜。再也没有比萨摩更让人琢磨不透的了。” "That's right." 龙马赞同。萨摩总给人一种沉默的巨人的印象，令人心生惧意。萨摩多数情况下都步调一致。而其他藩，即便是在长州，多数情况下也都是个人行动，藩士的意见各不相同，对外也是各抒己见。水户应该算是意见纷乱的极端。水户藩内派系众多，各派之间不仅争论不止，甚至互相残杀。那里已经远不是佐幕勤王两派对立，两派内部也分出了复杂的分支，局势不可收拾。 萨摩人个个都不愿谈论自藩的局势，所以萨摩将会采取怎样的行动，便不得而知了。龙马正是想要了解这一点，才会去和西乡见面。 第二天，龙马来到锦小路的萨摩藩府，拜访西乡。 来萨摩藩府拜访的人很多，藩府大都会委婉地将他们打发走，这点与长州藩此前的做法不同，岛津久光不喜浪人出入藩府。 “西乡大人可在？”龙马蓦地堵住门房。 西乡此时已经变成了京城第一名人，慕名前来想与他一论高下的人络绎不绝。这就需要有人来应付甚至驱赶。担当这一任务的便是中村半次郎。此时他正在门房，闲得无聊。“敢问阁下是哪位？” 半次郎说话间向龙马靠近。他衣服束得又高又紧，朱鞘的长短双刀威风地插在腰间，活脱脱一个画中豪杰。此人不畏死，无欲，不学，天地之间唯尊西乡，不，应该说是奉其为神灵。 都说只要杀过一次人，就会在内心留下阴影，可是从半次郎身上却找不到邪恶的影子。他态度温和，长相讨人喜欢，笑容沁人心脾。 “我一般化名才谷梅太郎。不过在这萨摩藩府，想是可以报上我的真名吧。” “那是当然。即便是将军驾临，若是有必要，本藩也会紧闭大门，将其拒之门外。家风如此啊。” “哦。”龙马不由得暗自佩服。对幕府来说，萨摩藩已经成为潜在的敌人。这种独立自尊的藩风，通过半次郎的言行于细微之处表现了出来。如此藩风才称得上千钧之重，此藩他日必将称霸天下。龙马一边想着，一边看了看四周。 大门前有一株老樟树。抬头望去，只见树梢上空一片洁白的云静静地向西飘去。 “请问阁下的本名。” “我乃土州人坂本龙马。” “啊？”半次郎孩童般拍起手来，“您就是坂本先生呀。久仰大名，听说乙女大姐可是个厉害的人啊。”半次郎连龙马的逸闻都知道得一清二楚。“西乡大人已经吩咐过了。说是这几天会有一个身材魁梧的人从神户过来，家纹是桔梗，万万不可怠慢。” 半次郎转过身，一路飞奔去给西乡通报龙马到访的消息。 龙马是幕末的八剑客之一，其他七人分别是斋藤弥九郎、斋藤新太郎、岛田虎之助、千叶周作、近藤勇、山冈铁太郎、桂小五郎。龙马的剑术与近藤勇有异曲同工之妙，用竹剑对打时看不出多么厉害，可是一旦真剑在手，便会迸发出惊人的威力。龙马天生卷发，加上剑术修行使他额上的头发逐渐秃了，反衬得两鬓卷曲得愈发厉害。这令他显得越发精悍。而且他还生就一双浓眉，眼放异彩。他平素里不爱理人，总是将手插在怀里，几乎不怎么笑，可是一旦笑起来，又让人不禁心生喜爱。 西乡隆盛则可说是个哲人。西乡最重“敬天爱人”这几个字，再也没有他这般无私之人了。年少时，他便立志“去私心，成大事”，并严格要求自己，到得中年，终于锤炼成这样一个人。或许是因为天性，通过这种修炼，西乡形成了非比寻常的人格魅力。这种奇特的吸引力变成了他的原动力，在他身边聚集了一群为他出生入死的奇人异士，这些人后来成长为一个巨大的集团，最终控制了萨摩。他率领萨摩投身到幕末风云之中，从而完成了维新。 胜评价龙马和西乡：“如果西乡变得周详、精明一些，便是另一个坂本龙马。” 西乡曾经两次被流放孤岛。他被藩主生父岛津久光所恶，第二次流放到孤岛上时，岛上的一个老太太吃了一惊，道：“你这个人让老婆子怎么说好呢。”她把这个彪形大汉当成了一介工头，教训道：“看来你是个大恶之人啊。来过这座岛上的人，一次便得了教训，再也不会来第二次。可是你竟然来了两次。这次一定要改过自新，尽早得到宽恕回去啊。” 西乡羞得满脸通红，慌忙发誓要洗心革面，重新做人。看到他那可笑的样子，老婆婆十分感慨地赞扬他说：“你简直天真如孩童啊。” 西乡天生无邪。这或许也是他吸引人之处。后来西南战争时，六十三个丰前中津藩士加入了萨摩。后来中津战势每况愈下，最后他们不得不在城山固守城池。 中津领头的叫增田宋太郎，他召集了同乡，道：“城池将陷。你们杀出一条血路回乡去吧，我一人留下。” “为何只你一人留下？” 同乡如此一问，这个丰前人不由得泪流满面。“我来到这里以后，才有机会接触西乡。与他多相处一日，便更仰幕他一分。如此日复一日，对他的敬爱之情与日俱增，现在我已经无法离开他。所以，不管怎样我都要与他同生共死。”在锦小路萨摩藩府正门接待龙马的中村半次郎，即后来的陆军少将桐野利秋，因为幼时家中贫穷，目不识丁。后来他跟随西乡左右，耳濡目染，增长了许多见识。逢到有人嘲笑他没有学问，他会淡然说：“要是我会读书，早已将天下握于手中了。”中村是一个颇具战国风范的男子，西乡十分钟爱他那种干脆爽快之气。 中村对西乡则是尊拜如神：“我是一个飘泊无依之人，而南洲翁（西乡）能够令我死得其所。为此，我终生追随他。” 西乡当然不是岛上老妪所说，只是一个孩童般天真之人，他还是一个激烈的叛逆者。他原先是藩中一介卑微的文书，是前任藩主岛津齐彬发现了他。齐彬不是单纯的贵族老爷，而是天才的政治家、学者，可惜的是他在幕末政治风云的前夕去世了。齐彬如师长一般教导西乡。 有一次，齐彬曾经对自始至终都十分喜爱龙马的越前福井侯松平春岳说道：“岛津家臣诚然人数众多，可惜的是没有一人能识清眼前的时势。只有一个姓西乡的，请您记住这个姓氏。只有他才是萨摩至宝。”但齐彬又说：“此人独立之象甚烈，恐怕除我以外再无可用他之人。” 齐彬死后，其庶弟岛津久光掌握藩中大权。久光继承了被奉为天下贤侯的兄长齐彬的遗志，赶赴京都，放言要结束朝廷与幕府之间的对立与混乱。他找来已故兄长的遗臣西乡商谈此事，不料西乡十分冷淡地说：“你做不了这事。”言外之意是此等伟业只有齐彬公才能完成，你久光来做，有如沐猴而冠。久光顿时勃然大怒，西乡对此却置若罔闻，耻笑久光胸中长草。于是他遭到久光疏远，两次被流放孤岛。在久光眼中，西乡简直就是安禄山。 西乡身长五尺九寸，比龙马还高些。只是龙马体形清瘦，西乡却有着令人吃惊的肥胖身材。晚年时，西乡曾经去萨摩的朋友加治木家。“他饭量大得像牛马。”那户人家的女仆说。一日饭后，端上来三个大柚子。西乡转眼吃完一个，又拿了一个来吃，直到剥第三个时，自觉好笑，便道：“我这么个身材，做衣服时一布料也不够用。我不喝酒，可是能吃。若是牛马有如此大的食量还好，人似乎有些浪费了。不过我虽能吃，却并不贪。”女仆听他一番自言自语，忍住跑到厨下捧腹大笑。 “勿爱己。”这是西乡的信条。他自幼不喜读书，曾经惹得一个叫休吾的家人不停地抱怨。可是在两次流放孤岛期间，他却变成了一个极爱读书的人，并且开始思考什么样的人才能成就大事业，最终得出了结论。“不要命，不要名，不要官位与金钱的人，是最不好对付之人。只有这种难以应付的人，才能共克时艰，成就大业。” 龙马也有过与此类似的话。但他更为实际而更显犀利。这或许就是胜为何说龙马是“精明周详