Chapter 56 17. Chief Naval Battle

The mountains and the sea turned blue in an instant, and the outlines of houses and ships in the harbor gradually became clear.Soon, the sun rose on June 12 of the second year of Qingying. "Set sail!" Ryoma ordered. The Unity made a muffled sound of motors and set sail.There is wind, east-southeast, wind force five. "Raise the mainsail!" Ryoma ordered.After a while, the snow-white sails rose into the sky full of morning glow, and the bulging sails began to dance with the wind above their heads. In Shimonoseki, there should be a naval battle.Ryoma stood on the deck.There was one thing that kept bothering him.He worried that Katsu Kaishu would be appointed as the admiral of the shogunate fleet.If Sheng becomes the opponent's commander, then it is very likely that there will be a tragedy of master-student killing each other.

Since the disbandment of the Kobe Naval Academy, Katsu has been living a secluded life at home in Edo, but on the 28th of last month, he suddenly received an order to serve as a naval officer again.This surprised him, and even the veterans who stayed behind in Edo who delivered the order didn't know the reason.General Tokugawa Ieshige is in Osaka, and this seems to be an order from him himself. Sheng hurried to Osaka, met Jia Mao in Osaka City, and took office again.Although he became the supreme commander of the naval department of the shogunate army headquarters, he opposed the shogunate's Changzhou conquest.

"Assuming that the Changzhou Conquest is necessary," Sheng said to Yoshihisa, "there is no need to rely on the hands of the princes. As long as you give me four or five warships, I will take Shimonoseki without any effort." Qingxi and his confidants thought that Sheng was bragging again, so they ignored it. Ryoma in Nagasaki naturally wouldn't know so clearly. "What will Mr. Sakamoto do if Mr. Katsushi takes the shogunate warship Mount Fuji to attack Shimonoseki waters?" asked Mutsu Yonosuke who was standing next to him. "Handless." "Even Mr. Sakamoto can't help?"

"The most is to board the enemy ship, go to see Mr. Sheng, and ask him to retreat." "You will be killed." "Maybe." Ryoma seemed to try not to make such a hypothesis, and did not continue this topic. On June 15th, the ship arrived at Maguan. The Army and Navy General Command Post in Changzhou was located in Maguan, with Takasugi as the commander in chief.Katsura Kogoro is in charge of the political aspect.Longma went to see Gui first. When Long Ma arrived at Shimonoseki, the chiefs of the screen had already started a war, and the two prefectures of the defense chiefs were filled with gunpowder.Things go back to the fifth day of June ten days ago.At that time, the headquarters of the shogunate army stationed in Hiroshima dispatched shogunate ministers Ishisaka Takehei and Takita Masaku as envoys. They set out by sea to the coast of Iwakuni and handed the letter of war to the people of Choshu.

On the seventh day of June, a warship of the shogunate appeared on the sea of ​​Shangguan, an important port on the east coast of Changzhou. After entering fishing villages such as , Waicun, and Youyu Village, they walked away. On the eighth day of June, two warships of the shogunate fleet led ten ships transporting the army to appear in the waters of Oshima again, bombarded the coast, and let the army land from Yuyu Village.The army consisted of one hundred and fifty Iyo Matsuyama soldiers. The shogunate's attempt was to occupy Oshima first, and then block the Choshu domain from the sea.Of course, it is the strength of the navy that plays a decisive role.At this time, the shogunate has gradually acquired a naval strength equivalent to that of Europe's second-rate, but the Changzhou navy is very weak, and it can be described as helpless against the shogunate's landing plan.

On the same day, the three warships Mt. Fuji, Shokaku, and Yakumo, which can be called the main fleet of the shogunate, led the Western-style sailing ship Rising Sun and four Japanese ships that transported the army. They set off from Itsukushima under the jurisdiction of Yizhou. On the sea of ​​the island, send the Western-style infantry and artillery of the shogunate ashore. On June 11th, the Shokaku, Yakumo, and Rising Sun of the shogunate reappeared in the sea of ​​Oshima, sending the army ashore while launching shelling. The soldiers of the Choshu clan who were in charge of guarding Oshima met the shogunate landing troops along the coast, but due to insufficient troops and firepower, they quickly retreated, and finally abandoned Oshima in the middle of the night, and retreated across the sea to Tozaki.

Oshima succeeded, and the shogunate army achieved a phased victory. News of the defeat quickly spread to Yamaguchi, and the Fan Hall was in disarray. "Send reinforcements to Oshima!" someone suggested. The chief of staff, Masujiro Omura, said: "I object. Choshu is like a seriously ill patient. Oshima is like his foot. Even if it is cut off and thrown away, it will not affect the overall situation. As long as we win on other fronts, it will be enough to recover. " The shogunate army, which had won the first battle, was in high spirits and issued a notice to the people in Changzhou.The general idea is: "The lord of Changzhou has no fault at all. It is only because the villains control the vassal government and try to rebel, so there is this war. The shogunate dare not disturb the people."

"The shogunate occupied Oshima." "Now Oshima is surrounded by ships from the Shogunate fleet." Shinsaku Takasugi was in Changfu when he heard the news. "You must not tell the Changfu about this failure." Originally, the Yamaguchi clan hall reached such a consensus.Gao Shan is in Changfu, if he finds out, this fellow will do something earth-shattering. Takasugi still knew.He immediately came to Maguan, took the people from the Navy Bureau, and flew aboard the Sun (Bingyin) moored in the harbor. "Leave the ship immediately. I want to use this warship to make the shogunate fleet suffer." Takasugi on the warship was wearing a black kimono with family crests and was holding a fan.Seeing his attire, Kensuke Tanaka, a rogue from Tuzhou who joined the Changzhou Naval Bureau as a ronin, couldn't help but be surprised. "Why are you dressed like this?"

"So what? Even if the shogunate's warships come on ten or eight ships, they are just a group of thieves. My fan is enough to deal with them." Kensuke Tanaka was in charge of sailing the boat.He didn't know anything about engines, but Takasugi said: "You are from Ryoma's hometown, so you should know some boating skills." So he was appointed.Xiansuke went into the cabin, touched this part, moved that part, the boiler really boiled, and finally it was able to set sail. The Sun is an old warship of 200 tons bought in Shanghai.In March this year, when Takasugi was temporarily staying in Nagasaki, he heard about the ship from Gulaba, and immediately bought it for 40,000 taels.Because he didn't say hello to the fan, he was naturally strongly criticized in the fan hall.However, Takasugi said: "This is a matter of Changzhou's survival! 40,000 taels is cheap enough."Up to now, this ship has become the main force of Changzhou Navy.It's just that the Sun is an old ship of 200 tons after all. Compared with the warships of the shogunate, there is a world of difference in terms of performance, tonnage, and firepower.Even Takasugi joked that it was simply a "firewood ship".

In addition, Changzhou people did not invite maritime affairs, so they had to be sailed by the layman Tanaka Kensuke. From this incident alone, one can imagine the level of the sailors.However, Xiansuke gradually became familiar with the operation method during the driving process, and when the ship sailed to the surface of Mitajiri, he could freely switch between high speed and low speed. Takasugi ordered the ship to proceed at a low speed in Mitajiri Bay, sail into the commercial port of Zhongguan, and anchored there. "Everyone is waiting on the ship." Gao Shan didn't give any reason, he threw all the people on the Sun and went ashore alone.

Wenwukou Port is the most inconspicuous commercial port in Changzhou. Even so, the seaside is still crowded with boats of all sizes.Takasugi walked into the mansion of Sadaaga Bunemon.Zhenyong's family is the leading rich man in this area. The owner sympathizes with Qin Wang Zhishi and has been providing them with accommodation and helping them.Gao Shan was very familiar with the situation of this house, so he went straight up to the second floor without looking for someone to lead the way. Seeing Takasugi coming in, the maid whispered to Bunemon's wife: "Master Takasugi went up to the second floor." Mrs. Zhenyong went upstairs quietly, and took a look into the room, and Gao Shan was indeed there.I saw him put his feet up on the pillars of the alcove, lying on the tatami, with his head resting on his arms, as if he was sleeping. Mrs. Zhenyong tiptoed downstairs. This lady has heard of the name of "Changzhou Genius".This young man is wild and unrestrained, once he is provoked, I don't know what earth-shattering things he will do.However, his endless strategies are always unexpected, and it can be said that they hit the target with success. It should be thinking about big things.Mrs. Zhenyong ignored him. About half an hour later, Takasugi went downstairs. "Thank you for taking care of me. I'll come again next time." After speaking, he walked out waving his fan. After Gao Shan returned to the ship, he said: "I came up with an idea. Go to Shangguan port first." He ordered the ship to move forward at full speed. Shangguan Port is located on Long Island, a long and narrow island, where there is a guard of the feudal clan, the captain of which is Lin Banqi. Takasugi called him to the boat and said: "With this broken ship, it is impossible to fight on an equal footing with the enemy. I will take night raids to frighten their courage. You quietly lead your troops to the big island. As long as you hear the news from the sea Come to the sound of my cannons, and lead the soldiers into the camp of the Songshan Fan soldiers. Soldiers who are frightened are destined to be unable to win." "It's like the battle of the barrels." In Lin Banqi's eyes, Gao Shan's face seemed to overlap Nobunaga's. When the sun went down, Takasugi's Taiyo quietly set sail.The boat shuttles between the islands.Go down to Henei Island, Hiko Island, Nojima, and Lisa Island. From here, go eastward around the northern tip of Oshima, which is occupied by the enemy. Soon, they will find that the small island in the north of Oshima-Maeshima is moored in the bay With the shogunate fleet.It was a huge fleet.There are four warships as tall as mountains, and more than ten Japanese ships docked together quietly in line. There was no steam on board.There is no night attack in naval battles - this is common sense, and the people on the Taiyo led by Takasugi don't even understand this common sense. The starry sky is full of dazzling stars, as if they will fall into the world at any time.The tide was flowing to the east, and the Little Sun was desperately turning its propellers in the tide, heading east.The enemy has not yet noticed.The sailors held their breath. Shinsaku Takasugi stood at the bow of the boat. He was wearing a black kimono with a family pattern, satin tabi socks, and a long knife of Aki Kuni Tomoya on his waist. He still held a fan in his hand. Takasugi has two non-commissioned officers under his command.They were Kensuke Tanaka, the ronin of Tushu, who was sailing the boat, and Yoshinomoto Yamada, who was on standby with the cannon on the deck. Takasugi's lung disease is quite serious, and he sometimes coughs softly.But at this moment, he stood silently on the bow of the boat, his robes fluttering in the night wind, majestic and heroic. Soon, Kensuke Tanaka in the cabin handed things over to others, climbed onto the deck, and took charge of a cannon independently. The enemy fleet is still sleeping.There was not a single figure on the decks of the four warships Mt. Fuji, Yakumo, Xianghe, and Rising Sun. "Sneak in." Takasugi ordered in a low voice.The Sun got into the gap between the ship as huge as a mountain. "fire!" As soon as Takasugi finished speaking, the cannons on the deck burst into flames.Then came the uninterrupted shooting.Not only the shelling, but there were also six riflemen running back and forth on the deck. As long as the enemy soldiers fled to the deck in fright, they would aim at them and shoot at close range.That battle was as if all the firecrackers set off by the Chinese in Nagasaki's Chinatown exploded at once during the festival. The Little Sun dexterously shuttled among the four warships without missing a beat.The Sun was very close to the enemy ship, and could even touch the side of the enemy ship as long as he stretched out his hand.The attack is launched at such a short distance, isn't it almost a hundred hits? With each hit, the enemy ship's sides, funnels, and decks burst into flames, sending debris flying in all directions. The enemy ships were in a panic.They just started to burn the boiler in a hurry, but it is impossible for the boiler that has been turned off to cool down to start burning again so quickly. The gunner boarded the deck and wanted to fight back, but the Sun was moving left and right on the sea surface, making it difficult to aim. He accidentally injured his own people, and the loss became more and more serious. "Hit! Hit!" Takasugi tapped the bow of the boat with his fan, as if beating time, and kept ordering. But Takasugi also understands that if he sees a deal, he will accept it.Once the enemy fleet recovers from its embarrassment and starts to fight back, the Sun will be besieged by their powerful firepower, and there will only be a dead end. "Turn off the lights!" Takasugi ordered, extinguishing all the lights in the ship, and then ordered to move westward. "Retreat!" The ship turned left to cut through the waves, and then began to flee in a flash, and disappeared into the darkness after a while. This can be said to be Japan's first naval battle between Western-style warships. The shogunate concluded that there was a large fleet in Changzhou that surrounded them in the dark.Therefore, the fleet lifted anchor quickly, and retreated quickly, ignoring the need to go to the big island to meet the army. The Matsuyama Fan soldiers were still stationed in Oshima.That night, they were frightened by the sound of rumbling guns on the sea and the flames that dyed the night sky red. They mistakenly thought that the Changzhou people were coming from the sea, and they fell into a panic. At this time, Lin Banqi, who had already discussed with Takasugi, led Changzhou Fan soldiers to land from Komatsu Port on the west coast of Oshima. Takasugi's strange strategy succeeded, and Changzhou regained Dashima.Not only that, this victory completely disrupted the strategy of the shogunate.Previously, the shogunate army had planned to launch a general attack on Changzhou from the sea, but in order to repair the warship, the date of the general attack had to be postponed. Takasugi drove the ship into Mitajiri Port, and began urgently repairing the damaged parts of the ship.At this time, the feudal official from Shimonoseki boarded the Japanese ship and reported to him: "Sakamoto Ryoma of Tuzhou arrived in Shimonoseki on the United Ship." Hearing the good news, Takasugi was overjoyed. "The shogunate is doomed. I will join hands with Sakamoto to drive away the shogunate fleet in the Shimonoseki Strait, and we will go ashore all the way to capture Kokura Castle!" Emergency repairs on the Sun were completed in just one day.Takasugi asked Tanaka Akisuke, who was in charge of sailing, to fire up the boiler and set off for Maseki. In Maguan, Ryoma is trying his best to persuade Gui Xiaowulang, and the theme is about military ration rice.This is five hundred shi of rice, and the quantity is no small matter. "Mr. Gui, don't be angry!" After saying this opening sentence, Ryoma began his eloquence. In recent days, the Satsuma clan has provided many conveniences for the Changzhou clan through Ryoma.To express their gratitude for this, the Choshu Domain loaded 500 koku of rice on the United Ship and presented it to the Satsuma Domain.Unexpectedly, Saigo of Satsuma said: "Changzhou is about to fight the shogunate to the death. The army ration rice is as precious as blood to Changzhou. Satsuma appreciates the kindness of Changzhou, but the army ration rice is absolutely unacceptable. But if the rice is sent like this Going back, with the eccentric character of Changzhou people, they may think wildly. I also want you to find a way to explain everything to them and let them accept my sincerity." In this way, Xixiang will return the rice and deliver the message. The heavy responsibility was handed over to Ryoma. The harvest in Sazhou has not been good in recent years. "They are in desperate need of rice. Therefore, Xixiang thanked Changzhou for his kindness with tears. Xixiang said that although Savannah is very grateful for Changzhou's kindness, but Changzhou is about to go to war now. If they accept rice, it will be against the samurai. Gui Jun, you should understand, right?" Long Ma persuaded earnestly. At first, Gui Mian showed displeasure. "We donate rice as a courtesy. Wouldn't it be strange to return it?" But he gradually understood the feelings of the Satsuma people.However, Changzhou Fan could not return the rice transferred from the official warehouse. "What should I do?" Gui was really confused. Ryoma looked at him with a smile.What he was waiting for was Gui's expression. "What? What good idea do you have?" Gui asked looking at Longma's meaningful smile. "Mr. Gui, the gift of rice is out of morality, and the refusal is also out of morality. These two moralities collide, and the pity is that the rice has nowhere to go. If this continues, the five hundred shi rice will rot in the United cabin. How about giving it to me? Let my Guishan Trading Company use the rice for the great cause of the world, won’t this rice live?” Gui, who was strict and upright, suddenly burst into laughter.He clapped his hands on his knees, and couldn't stop laughing for a long time.After a while, he nodded vigorously, agreeing. "I really admire you." After speaking, he laughed again. Ryoma solemnly said to Nakajima Sakutaro, "This is what I use." Later, Ryoma learned about the progress of the battle between Changzhou and the shogunate from Gui, and the shogunate army launched an attack from all directions at the same time.First, control the Seto Inland Sea coast of Choshu.Secondly, the battle of Yizhoukou started from Yizhou Hiroshima and attacked from Shanyin.Thirdly, in the direction of the Sea of ​​Japan, dispatched from Shizhou to attack Hagi, the capital of the Choshu Domain.Fourth, attack the Shimonoseki Strait. The shogunate army set up its headquarters in Kokura Castle, covered by the shogunate navy, crossed the strait, occupied Shimonoseki, the first commercial port in Changzhou, and took advantage of the situation to attack the mountain pass. Changzhou also made corresponding deployments, completely giving up defense and focusing on offense, planning to counterattack from Yizhoukou, Shizhoukou, and Xiaocangkou. "The battle at Shizhoukou is progressing well. The enemy at Yizhoukou is too strong, and the situation is not optimistic. In short, at this stage, there is no winner or loser on all fronts." Gui said. At this time, Shinsaku Takasugi, who had returned to Shimonoseki on the Sun, opened the lattice door with a bang, and walked slowly into the room. "Sakamoto-kun." He didn't even say a word of greeting. "I want to ask you something." After speaking, he sat down next to Ryoma.His face is too long, and his features look a little silly. "Come and fight with me." Takasugi was appointed governor of the Shimonoseki area by the feudal administration.But since the army here is commanded by Shanxian Youpeng, he is actually the commander in charge of the navy. "Right now, I'm thinking of doing something big, but I don't have the resources to do it. Please help me." "What's the big deal?" Ryoma mischievously imitated Takasugi in Changzhou dialect. "Fight across the sea and capture Kokura Castle, the headquarters of the shogunate army." "Oh?" As expected of Takasugi, Ryoma admired in his heart.Xiaocang is the city of 170,000 koku in Ogasawara. This feudal clan has also served as a researcher for Kyushu for generations. Once something happens, he can command the various daimyos of Kyushu.The same is true now.Nagayuki Ogasawara, the senior shogunate who had been stationed in Hiroshima before the war, had already entered Kokura Castle on the shogunate warship Mount Fuji.Xiaocang can be said to have become the base camp for attacking Changzhou.Because of this, the defense along the coast is very strong, and it is definitely not an important place that can be captured by two or three hundred Changzhou soldiers, let alone fighting across the sea. "I will hand over half of our fleet to Sakamoto-kun. I wonder if you can suppress the shogunate navy for me? I will command the remaining half." The combat deployment was finalized.The Changzhou Navy has four warships.Divide these warships into two teams, the first fleet is commanded by Takasugi Shinsaku, and the second fleet is commanded by Ryoma. "Sakamoto-kun, you are in charge of attacking Moji." Takasugi said. Takasugi led two warships, the Sun and the Guihai, to attack the Tianoura Fort.Sakamoto is the Unity and Koshin. Ryoma summoned the comrades in the company to the second floor of Dr. Itosuke's house on the Amitabha Temple ship in Shimonoseki, and deployed a division of labor: "Kakubei Kanno is the captain, Hidekichi Ishida is the gunner, and Sakutaro Nakajima is the engineer." The work is divided.He is the commander himself and does not operate the ship. Afterwards, he led the people out of the city, came to the eastern suburb of Maguan, walked into a two-story residential house by the sea, greeted the owner and climbed onto the big roof. The sky is clear.Looking across the strait from the roof, the forts and army positions around Moji are clearly visible, as if within reach. "That's where we want to fight." Ryoma asked everyone to remember the terrain.When fighting at sea at night or in dense fog, it is impossible to act without knowing the terrain in advance. "The people on the opposite side of the fort are also looking this way." "Huh?" He is highly myopic and cannot see things in the distance. "What is Changzhou's battle plan?" According to Takasugi, there are three steps.Taking Kokura Castle from the start is almost impossible.So first, eliminate the enemies of Moji and Tanoura, destroy the artillery group, and then retreat quickly.The second was to rush from Hikoshima under the jurisdiction of Choshu to Osato under the jurisdiction of Kokura, and at the same time began to attack Kokura Castle. "Where is the shogunate's fleet?" This is the biggest problem. "Most of the shogunate fleet should be gathered near Oshima because they will assist the land battle at Yizhoukou. It is expected that they will not be aware of our battle plan. So the first round of battle will be successful." "What about that round of combat?" That is, the battle to cross the sea from Hikoshima to attack Osato under the jurisdiction of Ogura.When the second round of combat begins, the shogunate army will naturally realize that the Shimonoseki Strait is the real decisive battle, and will definitely mobilize all ships to the sea area in front of them. "By then there will be a massive naval battle." Fortunately, Sheng Haizhou did not serve as the commander of the enemy fleet.After Ryoma learned this exact information, he immediately felt a lot more relaxed. June 17th of the second year of Qingying. About half an hour before the sun rose, the four warships kept the sound of their engines to a minimum and quietly set off from Shimonoseki Port. The current of the channel came early, and the sky and sea were dark. The sky was not cloudy, but the stars could not be seen. "It's foggy." Ryoma murmured, and it was thick fog.I just parted from Takasugi outside the port, and now their sidelights are no longer visible.Takasugi led his troops to Tiannopu on the opposite bank. Ryoma's ship split the waves and headed towards Moji on the opposite bank. "Kakubei." Ryoma said to Captain Kanno Kakubei.Kakubei is the person with the most advanced navigation skills in Ryoma Society. "It's a pity not to use such a thick fog. Put that good gun on deck." Juebingwei's face showed embarrassment.The cannon that Ryoma mentioned is now in the warehouse, and it was not originally intended to be used.Compared with other cannons, it not only takes more time to fire, but also shakes the hull every time it is fired, which brings a lot of inconvenience to the boat. "Yes." Kakubei finally obeyed Ryoma's order. Soon, the sea lit up.The sun rose, but the fog did not lift.The Gengshen followed closely behind, the sidelights looming in the dense fog. "We can't see Moji's land yet." Ryoma ordered to continue moving forward, "Keep approaching, even if it runs aground, it doesn't matter. With this thick fog, the enemies on the shore will not find it." Not long after, the vague outlines of Moji's fishing village, barracks, and fort began to appear in Ryoma's binoculars.Could it be that the fog has cleared?For a moment, Ryoma had this illusion.In fact, this is not the case, because the wind is blowing from Moji's direction.It was as if the curtain of a big drama was slowly opened from the direction of Moji, and the fog on the sea was still very thick.It is estimated that the Ogura Fan soldiers on land still cannot see the ships at sea. "Kakubei, fight!" "Follow the order!" After Juebingwei took the order, he loudly ordered the gunner Baifeng Junma to attack. The white peak horse is dressed in black and has a white hakama, with two red swords on his waist, majestic and majestic.He fired at the breech of the gun.The cannon made a loud noise and burst into flames. The shells passed through the thick fog and landed in the center of the Moji Fort, raising a dazzling fire. The enemy must have panicked.But they soon began to fight back with artillery.Not long after, there was rumble of gunfire along the coast of Moji, and gunpowder filled the sky. The dragon horse galloped down the deck. "Hit! Hit hard!" He roared, walking between the various cannons, constantly motivating everyone.The shells flying from the land sometimes fell on the side of the ship, aroused a huge water column, and sometimes passed the mast and exploded in the air. "Mr. Sakamoto, the barrel of the cannon is so hot that you can't even touch it." "Pour seawater!" Ryoma's Unity moved forward and then retreated in front of the Monsipo Fort, constantly attacking the enemy.He thought this operation was very interesting, and even hummed in the gunpowder smoke, improvising a ditty. Ryoma sang and ran up and down the deck. The Gengshen is a Western-style sailing ship, and because it has no engine, it cannot move as flexibly as the Union.As a result, it became the target of the coastal battery of the Kokura Clan, and the hull was frequently shot. "Sakutaro." Ryoma called Nakajima Sakutaro Nobuyuki, "Send the Koshin with a semaphore to make them stand back." Sakutaro climbed up the mast and played the semaphore, but because the Changzhou people on the Gengshen were not well trained, they did not understand it. At this time, three shadows, suspected to be enemy ships, appeared opposite Yanliu Island on the right hand side.In fact, these three warships belonged to the Ogura Domain, the Higo Domain, and the Shogunate Navy, and they were all enemies. Longma didn't dare to relax, but the enemy didn't approach, perhaps because he was afraid of the dense fog. I'll go meet them, Ryoma thought. He must first concentrate on the fire from the coastal batteries.The fort on land gradually lost its momentum and finally fell silent. "Great!" The people of Changzhou saw this opportunity, and dispatched fifty or sixty Japanese ships that had been hiding in the thick fog at sea, shouting loudly, and began to approach the land.These are exactly the surprise soldiers commanded by Ariaki Yamagata, consisting of 500 Changzhou soldiers. Changzhou's army successfully landed in front of the enemy, and the mission of the Longma Fleet also came to an end. The fog is still thick. "Kakubei, let's take advantage of the thick fog to meet the enemy ships opposite Yanliu Island." "The enemy has three warships." "Give them some color!" Ryoma roared. This is an excellent opportunity, and the raid will surely succeed.Under the command of Captain Kanno Kakubei, the warship began to advance at full speed. The boat passed Yanliu Island.In the early days of the Tokugawa period, swordsman Miyamoto Musashi single-handedly broke into the island and defeated Sasaki Kojiro, who was protected by the Hosokawa family, and became famous all over the world. Thinking of this, Ryoma, who used to be the coach of Chiba Martial Arts and has won many contests, couldn't help feeling deeply moved. This island is not so much an island as it is a sandbar, with a few old pines looming in the thick fog.On the other side of the island is the enemy ship. "Load the good guns." "Why use that cannon?" Juebingwei asked. "The fog is thick now. They basically can't see the situation here, they can only hear the sound of the cannon. If you fire a good cannon, the sound will resound through the mountains of the strait, and the enemy will be terrified." This time, the Gengshen did not come together, and Ryoma only had one warship.Like a dapper hound, the Unity gradually approached the enemy ship.Due to the thick fog, the enemy's flags could not be seen.The shogunate warship must be flying the Hichimaru flag.The Kokura and Higo ships should also have the Hichimaru flag, the "government navy" logo, outside their respective feudal flags. "Which is the largest warship?" "The one on the right." "near." Kakubei followed Ryoma's instructions to steer the ship over, and then gave the order to start shooting.The gunnery gave the order.Before he could finish his sentence, the "good gun" in Longma's mouth made a loud noise, and the hull of the ship trembled immediately, and smoke enveloped the deck. "It hit!" Ryoma became excited.The loud noise echoed in the mountains of Honshu and Kyushu, and the straits trembled. "Go on! Hit the middle and left!" A shell flew out. Confused, the enemy ships soon began to counterattack.However, the Unity was sensitive, and it was in the fog, so it couldn't hit it at all.Finally, the shogunate warships began to flee. "We will also withdraw." Ryoma ordered to return to the coast of Moji quickly. When everyone returned to the coast of Moji, the landing army had already started a fierce battle with the soldiers of the Ogura Fan. The fog on the shore has basically dissipated. Looking at the opposite bank with binoculars from the deck, the scene of fierce battle is like a heroic picture scroll. Longma marveled at the bravery and heroism of Changzhou people. "Juebingwei, look!" He handed the binoculars to Juebingwei.Only five hundred soldiers landed in Changzhou.Among them, the Raiders are the main force, so none of them are warriors, but all the children of merchants and farmers.It is these people who are now outnumbered, forcing the semi-Westernized Ogura clan regular warriors to retreat steadily.They kept rushing forward amidst the hail of bullets.And the one who was beaten and fled in a hurry was the vassal of the Ogura Ogasawara family who was proud of his family background. "It looks like Changzhou will win." "No, Changzhou didn't win, but the merchants and farmers defeated the samurai." Ryoma trembled with emotion.Now, right before his eyes, the civilians were chasing the samurai, who had long held high positions, into flight.The revolution will surely succeed!Such emotion and confidence surged in Ryoma's chest. "Under the Emperor, all peoples are regardless of class." This is Ryoma's revolutionary philosophy. In the United States, the president is not hereditary, which once surprised Ryoma.The president cares about the lives of his maids. If the president can't let his maids live a good life, he will lose in the next election... These foreign stories ignited the fire to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate in Ryoma's heart. Ryoma thought of Tosa Goshi. During the more than 200 years in the Tokugawa shogunate, Tosa Goshi was oppressed, despised, and even beheaded wantonly by the sergeant brought by the feudal lord Yamauchi's family from Kakegawa, Enzhou.The bloody men among the villagers left their hometowns and began to participate in the movement of falling curtain.The driving force behind them is their strong yearning for equality in the world.Ryoma is the leader of many Tosa Goshi. Although Ryoma didn't quite understand the words equality and freedom, he had a clear concept in this regard.In this regard, Tosa is different from Choshu and Satsuma. The sky cleared up.The Tosas on the Unity took turns looking through binoculars, and saw clearly and clearly the heroic appearance of the civilians chasing the samurai. "That is the new image of Japan in my heart." Ryoma told everyone.The sight before him proves that the ideals his trading company upholds are more than mere fantasies. As Ryoma saw through the binoculars, Changzhou's landing force, although small in number, demonstrated great strength.The commanders of the troops are not selected by family status, but by ability.Aritomo of Yamagata, the military inspector, was born in Ashgaru. In addition, Fukuda Xiahei, Miyoshi Guntaro, Tokiyama Naoto, Yamada Tosuke, Katano Juro, Miura Goro and others are all outstanding commanders, but they are all outstanding commanders in their respective vassal states. All were of humble origins.The same goes for soldiers.The samurai nobles passed down from generation to generation have lost their wildness, but the children of farmers and merchants are just the opposite. They don't understand Bushido, but they have plenty of vitality and energy. Their landing point is the seashore between Moji and Tanoura.After landing, 70% of the troops rushed to the Tannoura Fort, and the remaining 30% went to the Moji Fort. The marksmanship of the Changzhou soldiers is accurate and proficient, perhaps because they have received actual combat training when fighting the four-nation fleet. The Changzhou troops heading for the Tianyepu Fort were divided into two groups, one of which attacked from the mountain behind the fort, and the other attacked from the coast to the fort, forming a pincer attack.This is the battle plan drawn up by Youpeng of Shan County, the military supervisor.In addition, a small detachment was sent to rush into the enemy camp, and set a fire in the barracks, which spread to the powder magazine.Boom—the powder magazine exploded.The men and horses were blown away in an instant, and the enemy was in chaos. "Come on!" Shanxian waved the command flag to encourage the teams, and at the same time commanded a small team to rush to the coast, burning about a hundred Japanese ships moored under the fort.These ships were used by the enemy when they were preparing to land at Maguan, Changzhou, and they are now burning.Both the sea and the land became a sea of ​​fire. The Changzhou soldiers who attacked the Moji Fort also used a similar method to burn down the barracks of the Fort and beat the enemy to pieces. "Win." Ryoma applauded. The Union's cannons still had shells in their cannons, prowling the channel. Soon, the Changzhou army began to retreat from the battlefield, returning to Shimonoseki one after another on Japanese ships.After Longma covered their safe arrival, he turned the bow of the ship and returned to Maguan Port with the Gengshen. Back at the Changzhou Barracks in Maguan, Gao Shan grabbed Ryoma's hand and thanked him again and again. "Sakamoto-kun, please help me one more time!" "when?" "The date hasn't been set yet, but I'm afraid there will be a bigger battle this time." Of course.After the lesson of this failure, the shogunate will definitely adopt a stricter defense.All the shogunate fleets will probably gather at Shimonoseki. Before the war came, Ryoma wrote letters every day, and sent them away after writing.He wrote to his acquaintances in Kyushu who had accepted the order of the shogunate, asking them not to help the evildoers. Takasugi asked the well-connected Ryoma to do this.The person in charge of sending the letter is the Satsuma who sneaked into Maguan under the order of Xixiang.Whether these letters played a role is not known. Fast forward to July.The shogunate fleet came menacingly and controlled the strait.The Changzhou Navy was helpless.They originally had few ships, and in the first battle, a ship commanded by Takasugi was sunk by enemy shells, and most of the other warships were also shot, severely damaged and unable to use.The only thing that can be used is the Union number that Ryoma rides on.With such a weakness, it is impossible to confront the shogunate fleet. "There's no chance of winning," said Yingye Juhei. "I can't win. The Ogura clan on the other side will see it the same way." "should be." "They will naturally relax their vigilance. Takasugi is looking at this opportunity, and he must have a countermeasure." Whether as a revolutionary or a soldier, Ryoma believes that Takasugi is more like a genius than Gui. On the night of the first day of July, Takasugi came to Ryoma's residence at Amitabha Temple in Maguan. "Sakamoto-kun, I have just finished discussing with Yamagata, and we will start another one tomorrow." When he said this, the expression on his face seemed to be going to view flowers tomorrow. "Now that the navy is almost nonexistent, how do we send soldiers to land?" "We have increased the firepower of Hikoshima Battery." According to Takasugi's battle plan, first storm the enemy garrison in Osato, Ogura Domain from Hikoshima Fort, and then quietly send the army to the opposite bank from the strait where the shells flew across.Once ashore, they immediately captured Dali in one fell swoop.The condition is that the battle must be carried out in the middle of the night.It is inconvenient for warships to move at night, so this secret landing should be successful. "What if the shogunate fleet comes to sneak attack?" "I would like to entrust this matter to Sakamoto-kun." Takasugi said nonchalantly. This guy is pushing things to others.龙马大感恼火：一艘像样的军舰都没有，这活儿可怎么干？ "Okay, let me try." “如此我就放心了。” 高杉谢过龙马。他自己最清楚，这几乎是不可能完成的任务。 舰船除了联合号，只剩下太阳号的舵还能转，可是船却动不了，本应挂帆的桅杆折了，发动机也因为吃了敌人十发炮弹，变成了一堆废铁。 七月初二夜半，龙马再次率领“舰队”从马关港出航。 这真是一支奇妙的舰队。联合号用绳索拖拽着发动机坏掉的太阳号。 坂本先生想出的这个主意也真够怪的，舰长觉兵卫暗自嘀咕。好在这次并非在大洋上打海战。战场是狭窄的海峡，而且出航的目的只是牵制幕府舰队，掩护长州兵登陆。即便行动稍微笨拙一些，两艘船连在一起，火力应该会加倍，倒也未尝不可。 舰船旁边，装载着长州陆军的一众小船正庄严地向前航行。天亮之前，长州陆军成功登陆门司，秘密行动成功，敌人丝毫没有察觉。 军队上岸后，立刻向大里发动攻击。早晨的沉寂被打破，枪声、炮火齐鸣，敌人终于明白过来。 “注意，幕府海军要出动了。”龙马此前一直在船上打盹，这时终于掸了掸裤子站起身来。“去严流岛。幕府军舰应该会从那附近出来。” 舰船破浪而行。天尚蒙蒙亮。过了严流岛，眼前突然出现了一艘巨型三桅军舰，仿佛一座大山压迫过来。 “是富士山号！”龙马惊道。 富士山号排水量一千吨，大小是联合号的五倍。此舰于元治元年在美国竣工，于去年二月在横滨交接到幕府海军手上。发动机是一百五十马力，内轮船，装有大炮十二门，可算是世界水平的军舰。看样子船上的人是听到了门司的炮火声，急忙从小仓港开出来的。 “怎么办，坂本先生？” “试试看。”龙马命令船向富士山号靠上去。 “靠上去？”觉兵卫惊问。 “紧贴着它的船般。” 联合号迅速靠了过去，幕府军舰反而吃了一惊。他们想不出这般靠过来的船是敌是友。 有人从般探出头来问：“危险！你们要去哪里？” “我们是运煤炭的，要去若松港装煤！”舰队司令官龙马大吼道，然后小声命令觉兵卫：“开炮！” 富士山号漫不经心，信以为真。就在他们漫然回复的当口，紧贴在它船般边的联合号嗖嗖将长州藩旗升上桅杆，与此同时，大炮响了。 两船如此靠近，炮弹想打偏也难。 富士山号剧烈摇晃起来，船身被炮弹打出的大洞，就算黎明时也看得清清楚楚。舰船上顿时乱作一团，士兵们慌忙各就各位。从联合号上望去，仿佛在看邻居家吵作一团。 若是等到幕府舰队作好战斗准备，这边肯定马上败下阵来。龙马又命令发射了两枚炮弹，然后说：“向马关撤退！” 在他的命令下，船开始全速航行。发动机发出阵阵轰鸣，但是毕竟拖着太阳号，快不起来。炮弹和步枪子弹嗖嗖地飞过，好在因为敌人还没从慌乱中回过神来，全都打偏了。 “再跑快点！” “已经是极限了！”觉兵卫气鼓鼓地说，对拖着太阳号大为不满。 随后，附近的长州藩彦岛炮台发现了富士山号，立刻集中火力向它攻击，富士山号狼狈逃回了小仓港。 “他们为什么会这么懦弱呢？”菅野觉兵卫一边将军舰开往马关港，一边问龙马。 “我也在想这个问题。”龙马试图从幕府军的懦弱中找到某些历史意义。 “德川幕府始于关原合战。”龙马追溯往昔。二百六十余年前，在美浓的关原，德川家康和石田三成交战时几乎势均力敌。石田一开始就占据了有利地形，按理不应当输。龙马往返于京都和江户时曾一度到过关原，仔细查看了两军阵地的遗迹，当时他便得出了这一结论。然而，石田输了。 石田方只有他的直属部队和友人大谷刑部在奋勇作战，其余的大名都只是作壁上观，有人甚至还暗中放水。为什么会这样呢？不得不说是因为时代的潮流。比起老朽的丰臣政权，时势对于以家康公为中心的崭新的统一国家更为有利。正因如此，各个大名才会出手帮助家康公，而石田方的各个大名才会无所作为、袖手旁观。 照此来看，幕府军懦弱无能的背后正是时代的原因，时势这个审判者开始对着我微笑了，龙马不由心中一宽。 当天上午，龙马将船停靠在马关港内，补充煤炭和弹药。此间他借用了一家饭庄的二楼，从那里能够清楚看到港外的情形。他躺在屋内，开始补觉。昨夜他就没有好好睡过觉，因此立刻就睡着了。 对岸的门司、小仓间的山野频频升起硝烟，连格子门和榻榻米也被震得微微抖动。上岸的长州军陷入了苦战。尽管如此，幕府海军也实在是太无用了，这让龙马目瞪口呆。长州军已经登陆九州。只要抓住时机控制海峡，一方面使登陆军成为孤军，同时从背后发动炮击，长州必败无疑，这是任谁都明白的战术常识。可是幕府海军没有这么做。若是以长州藩旧式大炮的火力和龙马、高杉率领的弱海军来做这件事，着实需要相当大的决心，但对于强大的幕府舰队，只要想做，简直是易如反掌。幕府海军连这点勇气都没有。 这是斗志的问题。无论是幕府兵，还是协助作战的各藩藩兵，都并不是真心想和长州作战。幕府和各藩确实憎恨长州藩过去的蛮横暴行和喜欢耍小聪明的权谋手段，可是他们却无法憎恨长州藩提倡的勤王这一观念。 尊王对佐幕派而言也是极为普遍的。然而，勤王却不同，它包含了推翻幕府、以京都朝廷为中心建立新的统一国家这种革命思想。幕府舰队的将士们，至少只要是知识分子，应该就是尊王的，只不过不是勤王之士。而且必定有人为自己不是勤王之士感到羞耻。于是，对于长州藩扛起的“勤王”战旗，他们自然激不起斗志。 历史在前进。龙马从懦弱的对手身上悟出了这个结论。维新之梦，经过这几年，或许即将不再是梦了。 接近中午时，对面的海面上出现了幕府的军舰，龙马一跃而起。他跑向港口，登上联合号，起锚出发。 早已作好了出航的准备。船开始前进。装有大炮的甲板上，炮手白峰骏马穿梭忙碌。他将青铜制的十二磅重的弹药装填完毕后，猛地一拉绳索，白烟立刻弥漫甲板。 幕府军舰发射了五六发炮弹，但是没多久便向小仓方向逃窜。觉兵卫想要追上去，刚要转右舵，龙马连忙制止他： “不可不可。” 对方可是世界一流的军舰，绝非白天正面交锋能够胜得了的。 幸好庚申号和太阳号已经修理完毕，追了上来，龙马便在海上将他们编成了一个小舰队：一艘小蒸汽船，两艘西洋帆船。龙马指挥着它们从马关海峡南下而去。经过严流岛北岸，穿过彦岛炮台下方，来到了大濑户。海流很急，龙马命令舰队尽量靠近九州沿岸，在那里拋锚。后边的两艘船也拋了锚，但是在湍急的水流冲击下，船竟然在海面打起转来。 “大里的仗还没打完吗？”龙马仔细听了听岸上的炮声。只要长州军攻打大里的战役一结束，龙马就必须马上护送他们返回马关。 “还在继续。”菅野觉兵卫回话。 龙马立即命令放下小艇，让中岛作太郎等三人上岸与陆军取得联系。中岛在战场上奔跑，找到了军监山县有朋，询问了战况。 “一时半会儿还赢不了。”山县痛苦地说。大里是小仓城的最后一道防线，所以小笠原家的藩士们拼死守卫。 “要不然从海上炮击？”中岛说。 山县顿时脸色铁青。双方混战，炮弹很有可能落到自己人头上。 “我们会被打中的。” “不，没问题。我们商社越后浪人白峰骏马的炮术十分高明，就算是山坡上那株旃檀的一个枝桠，他也能准确无误地击中。” 中岛再次穿越枪林弹雨，来到海边，乘坐小艇回到了船上。 “哦，陷入了苦战啊。”龙马点点头，走到白峰骏马身旁，问道：“你能打中岸上的敌人吗？” 白峰摇摇头说：“太难了。炮弹不可能总是那么精准。一不留神，就会打到自己人。” 龙马笑了，敲了敲炮尾，说：“骏马，你还想真打啊？这种情况，只要用大炮吓吓他们就行。” “那没问题。”白峰道。他将炮口调成仰角，放了许多炸药，然后奋力向远方射去。十发炮弹接连飞过天空，咚咚疼地落在了敌人的后方。 或许是这次的连珠炮彻底摧毁了敌人原本就动摇不定的斗志，他们开始一股脑儿向小仓城撤退。 幕府体制已经丧失了承载历史的能力，它的力量在日渐衰弱。 “最悲惨的莫过于一个衰弱的政权。”驻在大坂的老中板仓伊贺守胜静已经切身体会到这一点。 老中板仓最近将萨摩藩在京都的外交负责人大久保一藏请到了大坂城，为的是改变萨摩藩在出兵征讨长州一事上的态度。此次萨摩藩坚决拒绝出兵长州。当然，幕府的要人到死也不会猜到萨摩已经在龙马的斡旋下与长州结成了同盟。 为何萨摩藩不响应出兵命令？关于这个疑问，朝廷、幕府和各藩早已有过种种议论，然而谁也没有触及最核心的理由。就连与萨摩藩关系密切的亲王、公卿也只是天真地认为：“第一次征讨长州时，西乡在幕府和长州之间做了种种周旋，可是幕府却无视他的功劳，发动了第二次长州征伐。他们丢了面子，而且对幕府很是愤怒。总之，只要安抚西乡和他的同志大久保，萨摩藩应该就会顺从幕府。”于是老中板仓便顺着这个思路，将大久保请到大阪城，试图安抚、劝说他。 大久保出门了。但是，萨摩藩毕竟无法从正面拒绝日本的执政府幕府发出的出兵命令。萨摩藩找不出一个正当理由。“大久保会怎样辩解呢？”萨摩人颇为担心。 大久保泰然自若地出现在大坂城内。他端庄的脸庞略显苍白。 不多久，板仓就座，直入主题，要求萨摩出兵。 “我听不清您在说什么。”大久保将一只手搭在耳边，呆呆地说。他只是装作没听见而已。 于是板仓提高了音量，将同样的话重复了好几遍，终于累得没了力气。 “还听不见吗？我是说，攻打长州！” “什么？攻打幕府？”大久保突然说了一句骇人听闻的话，“您竟然说要我们讨伐幕府！我藩断难从命！” “我是说攻打长州。” “恕我直言，攻打幕府一事我藩绝不会答应！” 大久保最后竟然愤然离席而去。 后来，板仓问人：“萨摩的大久保耳聋吗？”他这才明白自己被愚弄了。幕府败相愈显，威信日衰。战况也对幕府十分不利。 沿日本海岸前进的长州军连战连胜，以势如破竹之势攻入石州，包围滨田城，于七月十八攻下城池。滨田藩主松平武聪烧毁城池，从海上逃跑了。 濑户内海的艺州口，始终是长州军占据优势。 而九州的小仓口，长州军接连取胜，可谓大快人心。原本占据绝对优势的幕府海军，却被只有几艘舰船的长州海军和沿岸炮台牵制得死死的，先后三次任长州陆军在眼前登陆。终于，七月三十，幕府军的指挥官老中小笠原长行爬上幕府军舰富士山号，临阵脱逃。第二天，小仓藩难以孤军对敌，自己放火烧了小仓城，败退而去。 小仓城失守，预兆着幕府的瓦解。 在幕府军中，肥后熊本的藩兵最为强悍。他们几乎仅凭借一己之力便压制住了长州。在七月二十七的战斗中，肥后兵甚至取得了胜利。然而，这个强大的军团在这场战斗结束的第三天，竟然撤了阵，离开战场，踏上了归乡之路。他们对于幕府军最高指挥官老中小笠原长行早已心怀不满。 长行之才不能领兵。有一次肥后兵在山上砍树筑垒，他看到后竟然斥责道： “为何在他人领内砍伐树木！”竟像个护林员一样。他的这类做法抹杀了肥后兵的斗志。不过，令肥后兵从战场撤退的最大原因，还是从大坂传过来的秘密消息。 将军家茂于七月初十在大坂城内病危，但这个消息被严密封锁了。最终家茂于七月二十日病逝。这个消息不知通过什么途径传入了负责小仓防卫的肥后人耳朵里。 幕府的中枢动摇了。肥后人敏感地觉察到了这一点。将军已亡，而且下一任将军的人选还没确定。政治局势定然动荡不安。Not only that.幕府军接连败给长州，作为政府的威信已经降到了谷底。肥后人心想，与其耗费力气在这场毫无意义的战争上，还不如回去待机而发。于是他们毅然决定撤兵。 战国时代大名割据的思想又冒了出来。不仅肥后如此。在九州，肥前佐贺的锅岛拥有日本最大规模的西式军队，却不理睬幕府命令，拒绝参战。筑前福冈的黑田以藩内有事为由拒绝出兵，久留米的有马虽然出了兵，在战场上却不打仗。 在这种情况下，幕府最高司令官老中小笠原竟然临阵脱逃。可以说，在日本，政府已经消亡了。