Chapter 48 9. Changzhou Zhanyun

There is a small village called Huitang in the mountain pass of Changzhou, which is unknown. In the Satsuma feudal mansion in Osaka, Ryoma bid farewell to the old year and ushered in the first month of the second year of Genji.Longma didn't know the remote village of Changzhou Huitang, let alone what happened there.Of course the shogunate has no way of knowing.If the shogunate found out, they would be astonished. As soon as the first lunar month came, Huitang fought a battle, a small-scale battle of 1,000 people against 200 people, which was a civil strife.Judging from the scale of this battle, it is really insignificant, but the significance of this battle is very great.

Seeing that Choshu had surrendered, the governor-general of the shogunate who was stationed in Hiroshima issued an order to withdraw troops from all feudal clans.The Battle of Painting Hall took place after this.On December 27th of the first year of Yuanzhi, the vassals in Changzhou began to withdraw their troops.The incident happened not long after the withdrawal of troops, so the news had not had time to spread to the outside world. The incident stemmed from the Changzhou vassal shogunate ordering the disbandment of the Raiders and other local armies.They declared: "If you don't follow, then attack." Not only that, the old Awaya brought a sword and led a thousand soldiers to set off from Hagi Castle to attack Takasugi Shinsaku who occupied Shimonoseki.The army arrived at Huitang and set up battle formations.

Youpeng of Shanxian County, the military supervisor of the Raiders, set up camp in Heyuan, a post station more than 40 miles away from Huitang.They assembled local troops such as the Punishment Squad and the South Garden Squad, and they finally gathered two hundred people.They all agreed: "Instead of being captured without a fight, it is better to attack the Zumu army stationed in Huitang at night and fight to the death!" On the fifth night of the first month of the second year of Yuanzhi, Shanxian and others set off.The whole army marched quietly like thieves on the mountain path illuminated by torches. Once they encountered villagers on the way, they would arrest them and tie them to trees beside the road to prevent the wind from leaking.

Around Chou in the early morning, the surprise soldiers had reached the top of the mountain, and the lights of Huitang Village were flickering at their feet.General Youpeng of Military Supervisor Shan County called forward, raised his hand and pointed down the mountain and said, "That's Huitang." The old millet of the family, armed with a knife, is leading a thousand people to station in Huitang.Although Shanxian is the military supervisor of the Raiders, his status in the feudal clan is just an ashigaru.Although he was born in troubled times, when he faced such an important official of the feudal country like Awaya Daidao, he was not allowed to even look straight at him, but now he has to fight with him, presumably Shan County must be very excited.Moreover, most of the Zuomu army led by Awaya Daidao are the children of sergeants.Although the distinction between sergeant and corporal is not as strict as that of Tosa where Ryoma is located, it is still extraordinary.

Yamagata was still called Tatsunosuke when he was fourteen or fifteen years old. At that time, he lived in the Minglun Hall of the feudal school as a handyman.The children of the ashigaru family are not eligible to study in the feudal school, and can only run errands for the masters.One rainy day, Tatsunosuke went to deliver a letter.He walked out of the gate of the Minglun Hall, and just after running for a few steps, he saw a young warrior carrying a protective gear walking towards him.Looking at the man's clothes, he knew that he was a sergeant's boy.The son of ashigaru must kneel down to pay respects when he sees the sergeant.Chen Zhisuke quickly took off his straw sandals and knelt down on the muddy road.Unexpectedly, when he knelt down, he splashed mud too hard, staining the young warrior's clothes.

The young samurai hurriedly dodged and shouted: "Irreverent! Be quiet!" After saying that, he was about to draw his knife.Chen Zhisuke was taken aback, and repeatedly begged for mercy, but the other party didn't listen at all.As a result, Chen Zhisuke was dragged to the middle of the road and forced to kneel in the mud and kowtow for mercy until his head was covered with mud and he was exhausted. Chen Zhisuke was originally a rebellious person who refused to forgive easily, how could he swallow this breath?After the young samurai left, Tatsunosuke, whose face was covered in mud, muttered several times in tears: "Let's see!"

Now, the sergeants are sleeping soundly in the village of Huitang in front of them.Shanxian commanded the soldiers to set up formations at the commanding heights around them, and repeatedly instructed: "Don't shoot before giving the signal. Once the beacon fire is lit, launch an attack immediately and enter the enemy's formation." Many people trembled with fear due to nervousness.Although the Raiders team has a strong reputation in the domain, the members are after all the children of farmers, businessmen and craftsmen, the captain is ashigaru, and the opponent is a family elder and a sergeant.The reason why the team members are afraid is not only the fear of the upcoming battle, but also because of this difference in status that makes them afraid.

"Think of your opponents as radishes in the field." Shanxian said, "Once this battle is lost, the Qinwang Party in our domain will be wiped out. In this way, the Tianxia Qinwang activities will come to an end, and it will come to an end. Look at my performance." The Battle of Painting Hall kicked off. "Since you're from the same township in the feudal clan, it's considered etiquette to write a letter of war." Shanxian asked a team member with good writing to write a letter, and ordered Nakamura Shianosuke and Tanaka Keisuke to deliver the letter. Nakamura and Tanaka went down the mountain in the dark, followed the road by the river into Huitang Village, and finally got close to the gate of the village chief's house - this is the headquarters of Aiyaya with the knife.A lantern hangs high at the gate, and it seems that no one is guarding it.

"It seems that they are still sleeping." Nakamura was relieved, and whispered to Tanaka. At this moment, I heard someone shout, "Who is it?" Probably someone patrolling the yard, only heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from a distance.The two were startled, and quickly threw the letter of war into the door, and then rushed out without looking back.They ran all the way, and several people shouted and chased after them.The two threw off their pursuers and headed into the mountain, only to finally breathe a sigh of relief. Everyone in the command center is awake.Awaya also jumped up from under the covers with his sword in his hand, read the war book, and shouted: "There are enemies! Prepare to fight!" After finishing speaking, he stood up.But he was still in his nightgown and unarmed. "Knife! Where's my knife!" he cried.However, his subordinates were in a mess and didn't care about him at all.

"Light the lamp! Light the lamp!" Awaya yelled.Finally, the lights came on everywhere. Shanxian on the mountain saw the light, stood up abruptly, and ordered: "Light up the beacon fire!" A bonfire shot straight into the night sky.At the same time, gunshots were heard around Huitang Village, and the bullets were accurately fired at the place where the lights were lit. Awaya, who was in a panic, took the knife and finally came to his senses, put on the protective gear, rushed to the yard, and got on the horse.However, his subordinates just fled in all directions in the house.In desperation, the first military order he issued turned out to be: "All retreat to Chicun!" The soldiers who couldn't wait for a long time began to flee for their lives in random order, and Aya had to follow.

Some people rushed to the Raiders.He is Awaya's lieutenant general, Caiman Shinsaburo of the Saba faction.While insulting, he rode his horse into the position of the surprise soldiers and shouted: "Are you going to rebel? You bastards, dare to defy the lord's order! Back off! Put down your weapons!" However, such deterrence and threats no longer work.Caiman was hit by more than a dozen bullets and died immediately.With this victory, the Raiders gained self-confidence, and since then created a precedent for civilians' spontaneous armed forces to be incorporated into the military system, and the Battle of Huitang even created a precedent for civilians' armed forces to defeat officers and soldiers. On the tenth day of the first lunar month, the Zumu Sect rectified its combat preparations and led its troops southward, where they had another fierce conflict with the Qibing Squad near Huitang.There are one thousand officers and soldiers, and two hundred soldiers.The Raiders deployed a hundred men at Kawakamikou. Fortunately, they had a cannon, and the gunner was Miura Goro (No. Guanshu, later served as Lieutenant General, Feng Viscount, died in the 15th year of Taisho). The Raiders team had few people, so they occupied the dangerous place on the top of the mountain and focused on defense, but in the end they were outnumbered and began to lose.Not far away, Shan County, who supervised the battle in Tianshengang, was shocked when he saw this, and immediately led a small group of people to rush forward, ambushed them in the bitter bamboo bushes on both sides of the road, and told them: "The enemy is coming soon, don't take a step back!" Then , He led another small group of troops along the mountain to the side of the officers and soldiers going south, rushed down from the slope of the mountain, and rushed into the enemy's formation. This ingenious tactic caused the officers and soldiers to be torn apart and defeated, and they were defeated again in Huitang. Hagi City was shocked by two consecutive defeats.The following rumors made the feudal government even more panicky-Shinsaku Takasugi would launch an attack on the Hagi Castle from the sea on the warship Guihai. It was none other than Ikeuchi Kurata and five other Tosas who snatched the Guihai at Mitajiri Port in the Seto Inland Sea.But no one in the Raiders knows how to drive a ship. Fortunately, Ikeuchi, who had studied at the Kobe Naval Academy, started the warship.Gao Shan was overjoyed, and said: "I thought Ikeuchi-kun was a reckless man who only knew how to charge and fight, but I didn't expect you to be able to drive a western boat!" Ikeuchi replied that it was taught by Sakamoto Ryoma, and he had only learned the fur. "It's Sakamoto again!" Takasugi laughed.The Tosa always talked about Sakamoto Ryoma, which made him feel a little funny. "I really want to meet this Mr. Sakamoto for a while." Chi Nei and others drove the Guihai all the way to the outside of Hagi City, and turned a few times on the sea.This terrified the feudal mansion, and finally mobilized all its troops to march south on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month in an attempt to fight to the death with the surprise army.The two sides met in Daejeon near Huitang. The battle began at this time, and the two armies fought in a storm.At the end of the day, the officers and soldiers were defeated and the battle was over. Afterwards, the neutral faction vassals came forward to mediate together. After many twists and turns, the feudal lord once again supported the Qinwang faction, completely disbanded the army of the Zuoba faction, and decided to reorganize the vassal government by the Qinwang faction. The coup was successful.Subsequently, the feudal lord ordered the beheading of the head of the Sabaku faction, Mukunashi Fujita, and others.However, just two months ago, at the same execution ground, Maeda Sonyouemon of the Qinwang faction was also beheaded by the feudal lord.Perhaps there are few masters in history who are as busy issuing orders as Hou Maori. In any case, the Changzhou Fan became the Qin King's Fan again. Ryoma heard some related news one after another in the Satsuma Domain in Osaka.This world is getting more and more interesting, he thought. The first month of the second year of Yuanzhi passed, but Xixiang, whom Ryoma had been looking forward to all day, was still on Sanyo Road. Fast forward to February.On February 12th, the Satsuma Mansion where Ryoma is located welcomed two unexpected guests.These two are Shintaro Nakaoka and Kusuzaemon Hijikata. These two Tosa ronin have long been known as Sa Chang and the Second Feudal Family.Nakaoka is running around in Changzhou, and Hijikata is showing his talents as the secretary of Wu Gongqing.In other words, these two are in control of the current situation in Changzhou. The two were still in Changzhou a few days ago.However, since Changzhou has become the world's "criminal vassal", he knows nothing about the situation above, especially the movements of the Kyoto court, so Sanjo Mimi, the head of the five ministers, asked Nakaoka and Hijikata: "Please Sneak into the capital to find out what the imperial court and ministers mean." After taking the order, the two packed up their luggage and walked all the way to Maguan, when they happened to meet Satsuma's steam ship entering the port. "Let's take this ship and go on the road." After the two discussed, Nakaoka went to negotiate with the Satsuma people.The sociable Satsuma people were very happy to agree, and even said to them: "You two are going to Kyoto. We are also going to Kyoto. The Shinsengumi is rampant there, and it has become more and more restless recently, so please go to Satsuma Stay in the feudal mansion." Not only that.Saigo's secretary, Yoshii Kosuke, happened to be on board, and stayed with them during the journey, never leaving their side.From this incident alone, it can be seen how Satsuma tried his best to treat the two Tosas preferentially.In addition to Yoshii Kosuke, there were also Saigo allies such as Okubo Ichizo and Tax Office Director Zang on board.They all treated these two famous Tosa people with great courtesy. The two disembarked at Tempozan Bay in Osaka, spent the night at the Satsuma domain in Tosabori, and met Ryoma.Hijikata Kusuzaemon had the face of a farmer, as dull as an old man.Nakaoka Shintaro is clever and agile, and his words are as sharp as a sharp knife. "Mr. Sakamoto, the world is in dire straits today, but why does a person with great ambition like you waste his time here, doing nothing all day long?" "No boat." "Are you a fool?" Nakaoka said, "The situation in Changzhou is critical, and the great cause of respecting the king and fighting barbarians is about to be destroyed. At this time, what is the boat!" "No boat." Ryoma smiled calmly.Nakaoka, who was only worried about Changzhou, was energetic and aggressive, but Ryoma just laughed. "Sakamoto-kun, let me ask you." Nakaoka raised his eyebrows and said, "What do you think of the shogunate?" "The shogunate is not only useless, but also harmful. Externally, it has lost the strength that the government should have. It has neither sincerity nor function. Today, as long as the shogunate exists, it will do harm every day. If this continues, Japan will inevitably will perish." "Well said!" Nakaoka stared wide-eyed, "If that's the case, why can Sakamoto-kun sit here and lie to himself? Looking at all the vassals in the world, only Changzhou has the courage to overthrow the shogunate, and Changzhou is the only one who has the courage to overthrow the shogunate. The previous incident lost its previous strength. We Tuzhou people are desperately running for Changzhou. Reviving Changzhou is the only way to collapse. The first strategy to make it come back is to lobby the ministers of Kyoto to sympathize with Changzhou , so as to persuade the emperor to give Changzhou the Qixia of King Qin Pioneer again. In this way, the shogunate and all the vassals will be three-pointed about Changzhou, and the righteousness of Changzhou will also be inspired. Changzhou is expected by everyone and is the world People support me. That’s why I went to Kyoto.” "The idea is indeed good." Ryoma nodded solemnly. Nakaoka continued: "It seems that you agree with our ideas. Then why do you turn a blind eye to our painstaking efforts? Why don't you put on your straw sandals, pack your bags, and run and shout with us?" "No, I have other plans." Ryoma said apologetically. "A boat again?" "Exactly. At least three ships are needed." "Stupid!" Nakaoka's voice had already begun to tremble, "Everyone said that Sakamoto Ryoma is a hero of the generation, it seems that he was wrong. It turns out that you disregarded the situation in the world and the safety of the country, and only wanted to get on the boat Life?" "Needless to say. No matter what the circumstances, one cannot abandon one's own way and the skills one is good at." From Ryoma's point of view, Nakaoka was working hard at the front line of the Fall of the Curtain Movement. This is beyond reproach, but the shogunate will not fall because of this.Although Nakaoka tried his best to persuade the ministers in Kyoto, it might be in vain.No matter which dynasty you are in, Gongqing always relies on a strong party.You need to recharge your batteries right now.Whether it is calling for the curtain down, or implementing the curtain down, it is all under this premise.To this end, a fleet is to be organized, although this approach is somewhat roundabout. Early the next morning, Shintaro Nakaoka and Kusuzaemon Hijikata left Osaka for Kyoto under the escort of Kosuke Yoshii and other Satsuma people. Fast forward to April. On the Tosabori River, fishing boats catching river clams come and go like weaving.One afternoon, Xixiang Takamori came back, his skin darkened by the sun.He came to Ryoma's room first, and said, "Oh, I have a lot to say to you. Let's have a drink at dinner." During dinner, Xixiang said: "Mr. Sakamoto, during the time you were in Osaka, the current situation has undergone tremendous changes." He told Ryoma in detail about the things he saw and experienced, such as the disposal of Changzhou and the transfer of the five ministers. .At this time, the situation in Changzhou has stabilized, and Wu Gongqing has also been transferred to Dazaifu in Chikuzen. "Of course the shogunate is happy." There was irony in Xixiang's words.This is indeed the case, Changzhou, the thorn in the side of the former shogunate, finally bowed his head and succumbed.The general is indeed majestic.The momentum of the Edo shogunate bureaucracy can be said to be soaring into the sky, and it is possible to take advantage of the situation to restore the relationship between the shogunate and the daimyo.This led to the resurgence of the system of visiting and explaining. This system has been an important means for the Tokugawa family to rule the daimyo since Yasuo.The daimyo's wife and children lived in Edo as hostages, and the daimyo himself lived alternately in Edo and the domain, each for a year.This system required huge expenditures, and the daimyo's finances were therefore in distress.In the second year of Wenjiu, the system was almost abolished.The shogunate wanted to transfer the expenses spent by the major names to national defense funds, so they sent the wives and children of the major names living in Edo back to the feudal clan, that is, released the hostages. Choshu's rebellion against the shogunate became rampant as the feudal lord's wife and young master left Edo.The shogunate believed that if the wife and children of Marquis Changzhou still lived in Edo, they would definitely not resist so fiercely. "It seems that it is wrong to abolish the ancestral law established by Ieyasu. After the abolition of the system of visiting the shogunate, the prestige of the shogunate fell to the ground, and the big names were domineering. This is the root of contempt for the shogunate." The shogunate officials thought so.So they wanted to re-implement this system when Changzhou surrendered. "The Satsuma clan resolutely opposes it. Now that the shogunate is still thinking about going back to the era of Lord Ieyasu, and let the princes spend a lot of money on attending the throne, thereby weakening the strength of the vassals, this idea is really despicable. The measures of the shogunate are always He only cared about preserving the Tokugawa family, completely disregarding the weakening of national defense and the impending doom of the country. Sakamoto-kun, what do you think?" Ryoma listened without saying a word, trying to figure out the meaning behind Xixiang's words, and found it quite interesting.The spearhead of the Satsuma domain seems to have begun to shift from Changzhou to the shogunate. Xixiang went on to say: "Not only that, the shogunate also said that they will attack Changzhou again." Ryoma also heard about the shogunate's decision to conquer Changzhou again. "At that time, what will Sasuke do?" Ryoma asked. Xixiang didn't speak.Ryoma stared intently at Saigo who fell into silence. I want to come to Satsuma to always regard Changzhou as an enemy, all the way to today.Wenjiu's three-year forbidden door change, Yuanzhi's first year's Hayumen change, and the Changzhou conquest some time ago, in these successive major events, Satsuma has always played the role of the attacker, and none of the victims The exception is Changzhou. "How will it be done?" Ryoma has already begun to look at the problem from a political perspective.At this moment, some kind of fire burned in his chest.This differs from his passion for boats. "Changzhou," Xixiang said vaguely, "the surface is submissive, but the heart is very stubborn, and has been preparing for war." "Should lose." Ryoma said.What he meant was that no matter how well prepared Changzhou was, once it was attacked by the shogunate again, it would undoubtedly be defeated. "However, there is a saying that is good. No matter how many times Changzhou is defeated, they will stand up. Even if the Maoli family is defeated, as long as there is still a Changzhou person, even if there is only half a stick in his hand, They will also stand up. If it was in the Warring States Period, the Changzhou people would probably surrender neatly. They would think that as long as the lord kept everything, it would be fine. But the current Changzhou people, no, not only Changzhou people—we These people are no longer warriors of the Warring States period. The warriors of the Warring States period did not have that kind of ambition for the world, but the people with lofty ideals now have it, especially the Changzhou people. The warriors of the Warring States period only think about how to live and make contributions. The warriors in the heyday of the Tokugawa clan only knew Be loyal to your master." Xixiang was dumbfounded, he didn't expect Ryoma to have such a discussion. "It's different now. In the current situation, people with lofty ideals will dedicate their lives to the cause. If you don't believe me, please look at us Tosa people. We have given up the feudal lord and run around the world to realize our ambitions. The people of Changzhou are the same. They must have no Maori family in their hearts, only Japan and the Celestial Dynasty. If the shogunate wants to crusade again, then try it. The Maori family may be destroyed, but there must be many Changzhou people scattered around the world, and they will continue to be active forever. Will Satsuma still fight them? ? Japan is bound to fall into chaos, and the country will be covered in blood and mud!" Xixiang looked at Ryoma intently, with a kind smile on his face.It was rare for a man to talk, he thought.Usually he kept his mouth shut, but when he had things to talk about, Ryoma was so excited that he unknowingly untied his belt. "Nowadays, the shogunate, Satsuma, and Changzhou are divided into three parts of the world, and the other feudal clans are just watching from the sidelines, which is useless." Ryoma's sharp analysis clearly explained the current situation.Xixiang couldn't help being surprised.After Ryoma said this, he realized that this was indeed the case.Ryoma went on to say that although Kaga has an annual salary of one million koku, both his thoughts and actions are limited to the feudal regime, and he refuses to let go of his own feudal issues and give priority to Japan's issues.At this time of crisis, since the Kaga Domain is useless, its existence is meaningless. "Among the three, Changzhou is the only one where misfortunes never come singly, and has been hit one after another. Changzhou is like a dying swordsman lying on the side of the road bleeding profusely." Ryoma waved his belt and said, "Satsuma and the shogunate teamed up to raise the The stick hit that swordsman again and again." "Wait a minute"" "I understand. This is just an analogy. Even the little gangsters on the side of the road will not always be bullied by others. There will always be a few vagrants jumping out of the crowd who call themselves patriots, and those who are beaten will ask them for help. Fight to the death. Once Changzhou strikes with a sword, the Satsuma people will also fight with their swords out of samurai spirit. And all of this will be seen by others." "It's a foreigner." Xixiang nodded with a serious face.This truth has long been known in the heart, but being told so vividly by Ryoma, it is unbelievably exciting. "The foreigners have been waiting for us to kill each other, and then wait for the opportunity to devour my land. At that time, whether the general or Satsuma Changzhou, will be swallowed into the stomach of the foreigners. In this way, future generations will certainly be Satsuma, Satsuma, Changzhou is regarded as a thief who has wronged the country." "And what about the shogunate?" "The shogunate is hopeless. There are rumors that a high-ranking official of the shogunate is considering borrowing huge sums of money and weapons from France to attack Choshu. This is their so-called trick. In order to protect the Tokugawa family, they will Japan was sold to France. Could it be that after knowing this, will Satsuma join hands with the shogunate?" Xixiang was silent, he did not expect Ryoma to be so well informed. Inquiring about news is Ryoma's specialty. He loves to socialize and is always convincing.Out of trust in him, people always want to cultivate and guide him, so they all tell each other wholeheartedly.This is true of the vassal Katsu Kaishu, and Okubo Kazuo is no exception, as is Yokoi Kokusu of Kumamoto and Matsudaira Haruga of Echizen Fukui Clan.They all said that Longma "a child can be taught" and taught him many things.Ryoma has a unique affinity.People say that no matter how reticent a person is, he will speak freely in front of a visitor like Ryoma Sakamoto.Ryoma's unique skill made him an outstanding figure among the people with lofty ideals. From the end of last year to this spring, Ryoma lived in the Osaka mansion of the Satsuma domain.During this period, although he was a vagrant, he went in and out of the Osaka Castle Daifu of the shogunate leisurely, and met with Okubo Kazuo every day.Yiweng Hesheng Haizhou, Oguri Uenosuke Tadashun, Kurimoto Hoeun and others are quite talented foreign affairs experts among the ministers.From Ichigo, Ryoma obtained a large amount of news about foreign envoys in Japan.During the few months he lived in Osaka, he spent almost all of it learning about the situation abroad. "France and the shogunate are colluding, is it true?" Xixiang looked at Ryoma meaningfully and asked.Ryoma tilted his head and said, "Well, I can't say for sure. It's just hearsay, but when the first crusade against Changzhou was made, the shogunate was short of finances and had no military funds, so although the order to conquer Changzhou had been issued, it could not be put into action. But , but this time they suddenly said that they would go out again, and the shot was quite generous. This probably only shows that they have found a way to make money." Xixiang's face changed, this guess is very reasonable.Loss of financial resources and extreme poverty were the reasons for the weakening of the shogunate's power.If the shogunate finds a fund provider, it will definitely establish a Western-style army and prepare a navy, so as to dominate the feudal lords.By that time, both Satsuma and Changshu will be dwarfs in front of the evil spirits, and the shogunate can crush them to pieces with little effort. "There is a military port in France called Toulon. There is an ironworks, two shipyards, and three shipyards. The shogunate accepted the suggestion of the French minister and decided to build a military port of the same size as Toulon in Yokosuka. The construction cost was as high as Two million four hundred thousand U.S. dollars. The shogunate cannot afford this huge sum of money, and it will be advanced by France." Xixiang was dumbfounded. As Ryoma said, the Edo shogunate suddenly became rich at this time, and the world was unaware of it. Sheng Haizhou was removed from his post, and his political opponents took over the real power of the cabinet.Sheng is an expert in foreign affairs, so he knows the horror of European powers colonizing colonies.At the same time, he was also deeply aware of the miserable situation of India and the Qing Dynasty. He once tried his best to advise the Muge: "Never conclude a special relationship with a certain country. They will list attractive conditions at the beginning, and they will soon be smashed to the bone. Suck it together and end up like India." After Katsuki was overthrown, his political enemies Ogasawara Nagayuki, Oguri Tadatsumi, Kurimoto Hoeun and others took power.They fanatically advocated the restoration of power to the shogunate.The idea of ​​these people is to strengthen the economic and military strength of the shogunate, degrade the Kyoto court to the status of the Warring States Period, and conquer Choshu and Satsuma by force, and if possible, crusade against Echizen and Tosa.In order to achieve this goal, they even did not hesitate to secretly communicate with foreign countries. Kurimoto Hoeun was one of the most outstanding talents born under the old shogunate system.He was the son of a medical officer in the shogunate, and later moved to Hakodate, where he taught Japanese to a Frenchman, and he became pro-French from then on.Soon after he returned to Edo, he served successively as the governor of warships and the governor of Western affairs.Before and after the crusade against Choshu, he became very close to the French envoy Rosius. At that time, the shogunate accepted all the preliminary work for Napoleon III's special assistance.He once said this to Rossius: The four-nation fleet bombarded Changzhou Shimonoseki, and the shogunate was very grateful for it.In this way, the Japanese finally experienced the power of foreign countries.It is hoped that foreign armies and navies can be stationed in Japan until the general's authority is fully restored. To the shogunate, Kurimoto was regarded as a loyal minister.And Kurimoto's boss, Oguri Uenosuke Tadashun is even better than him. The Oguri family has been the banner since Sanhe, and its ancestor, another loyal and heroic man, has been with his family since he was a boy, and has made great achievements time and again.Another twelfth-generation grandson of loyal government is Oguri Uenosuke, who was promoted to warship executive while his political opponents won and lost power.He only knows that he is loyal to the Tokugawa family, has no overall concept, and is not a person of national standard.When Oguri was in his own right, he regarded Katsu as a person who was harmful to the shogunate, and once instigated a banner to assassinate Katsu. Sheng and Oguri became enemies because of their different ambitions.Even so, Oguri is still a talent. Although Ryoma has not yet met Uenosuke Oguri, he already knows that there is such a person through Katsuki and Okubo Kazuo.He shuddered when he thought of the fate that Oguri would face when he took power in the logistics king movement. In the first year of Wanyan, when the envoys visiting the United States went to the United States on the Xianlin, Sheng was the captain, and Xiaoli was also among them.The envoy is Shinmi Bungzen Mamoru, the deputy envoy is Muragaki Awaji Mamoru, plus the supervisor, there are three officials in total.This supervisor is none other than Mamoru Bungo—34-year-old Oguri.The world spoke highly of Oguri, and the old man Ii Naobi saw Oguri's extraordinary courage and intelligence, and specially promoted him. There is a kind of tragic air about Xiaoli.After he entered the official career, he almost abandoned all his personal life, and tried his best to pass the exam for the shogunate. He once considered abolishing the daimyo system.He even considered abolishing the emperor and making the Edo regime last forever.However, he believed that in order to unify the world in Edo, it was necessary to abolish the system of separatist rule by the three hundred princes and implement the system of prefectures and counties.For this, money and weapons are needed, arsenals and ironworks are needed, and a strong army is needed. After Oguri became a warship executive, he immediately joined forces with France, which Sheng hated, and formally concluded an agreement on the construction of the Yokosuka Naval Port with French Minister Rosius in November of the first year of Genji. In February of this year, Ryoma heard about it from Okubo Kazuo, a prominent shogunate who was temporarily residing in the Osaka Castle Daifu. "Oguri is very capable," Okubo Kazuo said, "it's just a bit too much. If it is true that foreigners can use the funds and weapons to attack Changzhou, the old middlemen of all dynasties will not have to work so hard. Oguri is likely to use Hokkaido as a guarantee Mortgage it out. I want to use this to buy a large number of weapons, crusade against the daimyo, and make the shogunate stronger. As everyone knows, the day the shogunate becomes stronger, most of Japan may have been invaded by foreigners, repeating the mistakes of India and the Qing Dynasty." Hearing these words, Ryoma was taken aback. He had never been so surprised in his life. Before meeting with Okubo in February, Ryoma did not know Uenosuke Oguri.Ryoma hurriedly opened the martial arts book issued by Okubo's house that year. It was written on it that Oguri's family crest was Wuchonglang, and his salary was 2,500 shi. "Is this person really so powerful?" he asked Okubo. Okubo replied: "Yes, he is a genuine hero. Although his prestige is not high, he is a rare talent in terms of courage and resourcefulness. If he was born in the Warring States Period, even if he was given a country or a city, he would be wronged. What I worry about is that although Sa Changtu has produced many heroes in San Francisco, regardless of his courage and prestige, I am afraid that no one can defeat him in terms of resourcefulness. Besides, he comes from a famous family. If he brings troubles, he will surely rise to the top and become the one who controls the fate of the shogunate. However, if Oguri controls the shogunate, Japan will not be far from subjugation." A scene emerged in Ryoma's mind: On the Japanese archipelago, a group of Japanese were chained together and were being whipped by foreigners.Only the general was wearing fine clothes.On the side, Uenosuke Oguri looked at his compatriots with a complicated expression. Difficult guy, Ryoma thought, it would be easy to deal with if this person was just a mediocre person, but he is so talented, it really makes people shudder. "Oguri also understands Western affairs. Not only is he economically savvy, he also has the stubbornness unique to the Mikawa samurai. Among the 80,000 cavalry flags, he is probably the only one who is still loyal to the shogunate from the bottom of his heart." Okubo Kazuo said again. Ryoma was silent.Perhaps it was because of thirst, he took the flagon and poured himself several cups in succession. When he drank about the tenth cup, he suddenly remembered and said, "Oh, I forgot. How about a cup?" Ryoma poured wine for Xixiang.Xixiang quickly waved his hands and said, "It's too strong to drink." Xixiang is a rare person among the Satsuma who does not know how to drink. "If possible," Xixiang said, "I would also like to hear more about France." "That's right!" Ryoma's face turned red.The wine is coming up. "I remember Saigo-kun admired Napoleon." "Exactly." Other than Shimadzu Qibin, Xixiang admired people, including Masanari Kusuki, Mitsunari Ishida, Napoleon and Washington. "The current Emperor of France, Napoleon III, is Napoleon's nephew." "Ah, that's how it is." Xixiang said respectfully. Ryoma felt a little funny in his heart, but he also thought that this kind of honest character was the charm of Xixiang. "This man is a rare villain in the world." Ryoma said in a tone as if he had seen Napoleon III with his own eyes. "He is not so much a hero as a man of means. He broke into the political chaos in France, quickly seized power, became president, and then showed his talents and sat on the throne of emperor. Although he is thin and small, he is a very powerful and practical person. He is extremely energetic. He even takes care of other people's quarrels. What a strange person. When civil strife occurs in other countries, he will also dispatch the army to intervene In terms of army strength, France and the United Kingdom are like Genji and Heiji of the European continent. He drove this powerful army to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. When the independence movement broke out in Italy, he personally led the army to defeat Austria The army, in addition, he also dictated to Poland and Romania, and even intervened in the civil strife in Mexico. It can be said that the current European political circles have been completely manipulated by this person.” "En." Saigo responded obediently. He understood Ryoma's meaning: Napoleon III's hand has reached the far east and started to interfere with Japan. The consequences will be very serious. "Rosius, the French envoy who came to Japan in March of the first year of Yuanji, was a favorite of Napoleon III. He was also a vigorous and practical man, and he was fierce and capable when he conquered the North African colonies. He was deeply loved. It was a terrible He is in collusion with the shogunate, and keeps pouring money and weapons into the shogunate in an attempt to clean up Japan. He once threatened to use French-made weapons to defeat Choshu. Therefore, although Satsuma is justified in the crusade against Choshu, I am afraid that he has to Just be patient." "how do I say this?" "There is no such thing as face. If you don't have it, you don't have it. It's not just about face. It doesn't matter even if the feudal state is gone." "Ah, absolutely impossible!" Xixiang was dumbfounded.He is wholeheartedly for Satsuma.His ideal is to use the strength of the Satsuma clan to bring the princes together in Kyoto and establish a collegial regime of the big clan.And Changzhou hinders the realization of this ideal, so we must crusade. Ryoma knows exactly what Xixiang thinks. "I don't think so," he said. "Why did you say that?" Xixiang wanted to hear Ryoma's thoughts.But Ryoma didn't say anything, because Ryoma knew that if he said it, even Saigo would think him dangerous under the current situation. Ryoma also wanted to overthrow the shogunate and establish a regime centered on the emperor.But what Xixiang thinks is that all feudal vassals will discuss together, and of course they will retain the class of scholars, farmers, businessmen and commerce. Ryoma is different.He advocated the elimination of distinctions among daimyo, ministers, and samurai, and that everyone in Japan is equal.Such an idea may be difficult for even the most radical Qin Wang Zhishi to accept. "Today's Japan, if you only consider the interests of the vassal state, there will be no development." Ryoma replied cleverly. "In the end, Japan will be swallowed by foreigners. A good example is making friends with France." “原来如此。我明白。”西乡点点头，暗想，应该和大久保一藏重新探讨一下长州问题了。 龙马十分聪明，只是点到为止，剩下的问题他觉得应该交给西乡独自思考，于是问道： “换个话题如何？萨摩藩可否愿意为我买船？” 过了数日，萨摩藩府来了一个容貌秀丽的年轻人。他身穿黑色纺绸和服外褂，衣服上印的家纹是三枝紫藤。其人腿长，体格健壮，上身笔直，缓缓走进门来。随行的也都一身行装。 年轻人进门后，径直穿过庭院中的白沙地，向府内茶室风格的御殿走去。 龙马缓缓横穿过白沙地，与年轻人擦肩而过。 此人不就是萨摩的家臣、鼎鼎大名的大久保一藏吗？龙马忽然想起来了。只见大久保板着脸，高挺的鼻梁透出傲气，嘴角紧绷，表情冰冷。虽然是下级武士出身，但那优雅的容貌绝不输给任何一位大名。而且他脸上透着一股聪敏劲儿。 大久保也立即认出了龙马，不过他天生有一种威仪，不会轻率地凝视生人。 龙马也是出了名的不爱理人，昂头走了过去。 两刻以后，大久保一藏在御殿的一个房间和西乡面对面坐了下来。 “刚才我在庭院里看见一个身穿桔梗家纹和服、邋里邋遢的浪人，那人可是土州的坂本龙马？” “这可真有意思。”西乡笑了，刚刚龙马也问过他。“都说英雄识英雄，龙马和一藏或许都是英雄呢。” “可是个成就大业之人？” “有时粗壮如松，有时却又纤细如柳。胆大心细，有古代英雄的气质。萨摩要是有这样的男儿，不知有多好。”西乡道，“但是那人说他要另起一藩。” “另起一藩？” 大久保惊讶不已。这简直和战国时代乡下武士的野心如出一辙。 “萨摩藩就是海洋之藩。他希望我藩购买军舰，再将军舰借给他，他会支付租借费。” 大久保没有反应。西乡心想，为了龙马，必须说服大久保这个在藩国拥有实力的人，于是追问道：“你有何意见？” “是龙马借船一事吗？” "Exactly." “可以。只要你看中了龙马，认为他的想法可行，我没意见。但因为涉及到钱，不知道藩中家老怎么说。看来得把他请到鹿儿岛去。” “哈哈，这下有趣了。”