Chapter 57 1. Zhongliang was trapped

The shogunate needs think tanks, because only very good think tanks can prevent this crisis of collapse.So the general directly issued an order to use Sheng Haizhou again.Sheng Yu arrived in Osaka on June 22, the second year of Keio (1866). When Katsuki was about to leave Edo, Uenosuke Oguri Tadashun, the inspector of the shogunate, secretly invited him to a room in Edo Castle and said, "Your Excellency is about to leave for Osaka. After arriving there, the general will ask you about revival." The strategy of the shogunate. Regarding this point, I actually have a secret here, I hope you can understand it in advance. Please listen to me."

Oguri Tadashun and Sheng were called the two great talents of the shogunate, but their political views were fundamentally different.Sheng always thinks about the world in his heart, while Oguri only thinks about the shogunate in everything. In this regard, the two can be said to be opposites.Therefore, their relationship will naturally not be good. Katsushi calls Oguri a "big evil", while Oguri thinks that Katsu is "a traitor who gathers radicals from the Sakura and wants to dismantle the shogunate from within".As for Katsu running the Kobe Naval Academy and appointing Ryoma as the head of the school, Oguri questioned it with this view. In the end, Katsu was overthrown and imprisoned at home because of Oguri's instigation behind the scenes.

Closer to home.The "secret" that Oguri whispered was really shocking. "In order to conquer Choshu, the shogunate is planning to borrow six million taels of military expenditure and seven warships from the French Emperor Napoleon III. This matter has already obtained the preliminary consent of the other party and is currently being implemented." Sheng was stunned.This is obviously an old-fashioned method used by European powers to colonize Asia.Lend funds and troops to the dying government to help it fight against the "rebels", and the condition is to get rights.In return for France, Oguri has already begun preparations for the construction of a large-scale ironmaking industry in Yokohama, a joint venture between Japan and France, and the lease of the entire island of Hokkaido to France.Not only that, Oguri also said: "After Choshu is eliminated, I plan to borrow French military and financial resources to attack Satsuma, Tosa, Echizen and other anti-shogunate vassals in turn. After suppressing them by force, the three hundred daimyo will be abolished in one fell swoop. The system of prefectures and counties was implemented, and the authority of Tokugawa was restored to that of Ieyasu."

Katsushi said goodbye to Oguri without saying a word, thinking that when Oguri's plan is realized, Japan will perish and become a French colony.The shogunate will also be finished, and Sheng is very angry. In fact, this idea of ​​Oguri has become an open secret of the Mukaku, and the specific content has already been leaked to the daimyos of Echizen, Satsuma, Choshu, and Tuzhou.These daimyos and people of lofty ideals eventually lost confidence in the shogunate, and Oguri's idea was the biggest reason.This idea was first proposed by the French envoy Leon Rossiu and counselor Montblanc to foreign countries to pursue Ikeda Chikugo Mamoru. Oguri Tadatsumi agreed very much and was enthusiastic about this proposal, so he lobbied among the shogunate bureaucrats, and finally got the old man. The strong support of Katsuji Nakaitakura and Nagayuki Ogasawara.

The first daimyo to know this secret was Echizen Matsudaira Haruyake, who once served as the president of political affairs in the shogunate, and Haruyake told Tosa's Yamazudo and others.The Satsuma domain was heard from the British.If France controls the shogunate and monopolizes trade, Britain will naturally be the most affected.Therefore, Britain must prevent France from approaching the shogunate. Another good thing for Britain.In the British Legation in Yokohama, there is a young translator named Ernest Sadaoyi. He is smart and can not only conduct daily conversations in Japanese, but can even read classical Chinese.Sa Daoyi traveled all over Japan, met many people, and finally formed a clearer view of Japan's situation and future than the Japanese.

First of all, he thought that the shogunate was shortly after.Second, he predicted that Japan after the shogunate era would be in the hands of the emperor's regime created by active powerful vassals.Based on his foresight, the British began to adopt a posture of alienating the shogunate and approaching the chief minister.Therefore, the British will naturally disclose to Satsuma bit by bit information that is beneficial to Sasha, including Oguri's idea. At this point, Satsuma and Changzhou will have such a sense of crisis: "If you wait to die, you will be wiped out by the shogunate sooner or later." Especially the Satsuma clan insulted the shogunate at the beginning, and then wanted to overthrow the shogunate. The main reason is this blow .

After Katsu Kaishu arrived in Osaka, he went to the city immediately, met with Katsusuke Itakura, the old man, and unceremoniously expressed his opposition to Oguri's idea. "The Muge seems to keep the plan of abolishing feudalism and setting up prefectures and counties as a secret. In fact, everyone has already known about it. Someone in the Western Kingdom has secretly sent envoys to Paris. The envoys learned about this from the Paris newspapers or through other channels. The event was reported to their vassal state. Xiguo daimyo secretly hated this violent plan, they quickly moved closer to Britain, and even secretly formed an alliance in order to fight against the shogunate. In any case, all three hundred daimyos were destroyed, and Germany The Chuan family monopolizes the world, such an approach can no longer be called politics, but selfish desires. Not only that, but it is absurd to use Japan as a bait for such selfish desires to throw at the hungry wolf-like European powers!"

However, Muge did not adopt Sheng's proposition. The greatest spectacle of this era is probably Sheng Haizhou.He is like a huge lone peak. Although he is a minister of the shogunate, he is impartial in this troubled world, standing in the current situation as a prophet.He lived on a warship and pursued the position of the senior bureaucrat of the shogunate, but never practiced the official way of life.As for forming cliques and using power and tactics, he hates it even more.Therefore, there are no political forces around him, and there is only a young samurai named Michitaro Shintani by his side.Katsuki can be said to be a rare commentator who can compete with the world with only a three-inch tongue. He is also a prophet who can see through the future of Japan in this troubled world.

"Katsu has come to Osaka!" As soon as he heard the news, Okubo Kazuzo galloped from the Satsuma domain in Kyoto to seek Katsu's opinion. meet. Only the senior officials of the shogunate were afraid of victory, and at the same time felt helpless against his outrageous ideas. "Sheng is talking big again." Even Qingxi, a talented general who served as a general assistant, often said this with a frown. There is only one person in the shogunate who has the discerning eye to recognize talents, and has truthfully evaluated Katsuki's talents and his sincerity to the Tokugawa family, and that person is Shogun Ieshige.

In the fifth year of Anzheng, Jia Mao inherited the position of general at the age of thirteen. Today, the young general has lived in troubled times for about nine years.Jia Mao was born with extraordinary intelligence and a selfless heart that seemed to be out of the world.He suffered from consumption early, and had a premonition that his life would not be long.It was with such a clear and pure state of mind that he observed changes in his cabinet and the current situation. Whenever something important happens, Jiamao's first words are: "Haizhou, Haizhou!" He will involuntarily ask for Sheng's opinion.

Katsu was originally punished by being dismissed from office and placed under house arrest in Edo, but he was quickly employed because Jia Mao made an exception and directly issued the order.Regarding the matter of using Sheng, he did not discuss it with others. Even if he asked for their opinions, he would probably encounter tactful objections. After arriving in Osaka, it is said that he should go to the city immediately to pay homage to Jiamao.But Sheng secretly learned from the general's valet that the general had been critically ill since April.Sheng has been waiting for Jiamao's reply in the lower part of Osaka. However, on the early morning of July 20, Matsumoto Yoshinori, a physician with whom Sheng has a close personal relationship, quietly brought him the news that the general had "drive west". The general is gone!Sheng suddenly felt like being struck by five thunders, and his eyes were pitch black.When he went to the city late at night, no cough was heard in the hall, and everyone held their breath and said nothing, as if walking in a silent forest. Sheng is a kind person. "The Tokugawa clan died today!" He sighed in his heart for a long time, which is enough to see the impact of Jiamao's death on him. Yoshiki Tokugawa will take over as general.Although this is logical, it has experienced some confusion. Qingxi is eloquent and good at moving around. Because of this, he is not popular in the Mukaku, and he is not very popular among Ooku and Banner in Edo, and he is not even popular with the Qinwang Pai Gongqing in Kyoto.The clever Qingxi knows that she lacks popularity.He has realized that even if he forcibly sits on the general's throne with his pitiful reputation, the follow-up things will not go smoothly, so he firmly resigns from the general's position: "Please forgive me for not having the confidence to calm down the current chaotic situation , and it is impossible to predict the future development of the situation.” He refused to accept it anyway.In this way, it made him less offensive, and even the faction that opposed him came to persuade him to take the position. Qingxi had no choice but to agree.He said: "However, I only inherit the Tokugawa family. Regarding the succession to the general, I want to think about it again." All in all, this talented man from the Mito family became the ruler of the shogunate in the form of a "shogun agent".As soon as he took office, he proposed the "Changzhou Crusade" with great fanfare. Qingxi boasted about the policy in a big way.He is known as a strategist since his own Yasuo, and he also possesses eloquence, education, and Western knowledge that Ieyasu did not, and he has the momentum to dominate everything. The exaggerated wording of "big crusade" is quite in line with Qingxi's style.More importantly, if there is no bluff, the shogunate, which has lost its internal and external credibility due to repeated defeats, cannot be saved. Qingxi couldn't wait to change the traditional way of fighting.So far, the shogunate army has been used as the subordinate and the vassal forces are the main force. The method has been reversed, and the shogunate army has become the main combat force. After the news reached Edo, Edo's bannermen were afraid of being conscripted into the army, and many people hurriedly asked to retire.So all of a sudden, the young masters between the ages of 20 and 30 lived in seclusion, and the royal ginseng of the world had to be served by children of five or six years old. Qingxi naturally also understands that for more than two hundred years of doing nothing and doing nothing, the Banners have long since turned into a bunch of wimps, so naturally they don't expect much from them.In contrast, he pinned his hope of restoring the decline on the people who volunteered to fight. Qingxi has become Westernized, and usually likes to eat pork. He always wears the emperor's clothes given to him by Napoleon III, and rides Western horses.He also knew everything about Western infantry and artillery. Currently, there are thirteen brigades of infantry in the Western-style shogunate army stationed at the Osaka headquarters.But Qingxi claimed that after a new round of conscription, the original thirteen teams had been expanded to twenty, and eighty cannons had been added. Not only that, but Qingxi wanted to personally command the field battle, and was ready to march.The march this time was different from the generals in the past. The luggage they carried was only three backpacks, one for blankets for camping, one for a change of shirts, and one full of watches and other belongings. Qingxi has been clamoring for a "big crusade", as if pouring water into a charcoal brazier and flying dust.But one day, he suddenly fell silent because he learned the news of the fall of Xiaocang Castle. Kokura Castle fell on the first day of August.Although there were steamships in the inner sea, when the news of the defeat reached Osaka Castle, it was already eleven nights ten days later.Just from the slow delivery of letters, it can also be seen how lax the front line of the shogunate army is. "Falled? Is the news accurate?" Qingxi shouted, and when he realized it was true, he almost fainted from fright. This is the character of Qingxi.When I am proud, I can do some heroic and bold things. Actions and debates are like wheels spinning non-stop, but once there is a slight setback, I feel so disappointed as if I have fallen into hell, and I want to retreat. "That's the end of the big crusade." As soon as this remark came out, the elder Ge and the officials under him were all dumbfounded.At the last moment, the general was still advocating the theory of attack. Not only did he ask for permission from the court, but he also received the royal sword "Mashou" passed down from generation to generation as a sword. , the headquarters will be stationed in Hiroshima.At such a time, Qingxi actually said that he wanted to strike! Is the general insane?For a while, people thought so.Although Qingxi has a changeable personality, once she changes, she will never regret it.And he will use his rare eloquence in the world to give sufficient reasons for this change and make this change "justified".Someone used the phrase "There are hundreds of talents but no sincerity" to hit the nail on the head with Qingxi's strange character. Qingxi had already issued a military order, and even ordered Kanding Bongsho in Edo to prepare to issue bills to raise military funds. The pro-military troops had already assembled in the camp in Osaka, and everything was ready for departure the next day.At best, it is the fall of Xiaocang City. As long as there is a bit of sincerity, I am afraid it can be recovered. "How should I explain to the court?" Regarding this question, even Qingxi had no idea.He once refuted the truce theory advocated by the Satsuma feudal lord and many others with his own strength, and forced the imperial court to issue an "imperial decree" to send troops with a very tough attitude.Considering its own integrity, the imperial court will never give up easily. "You go to Ertiao Guanbai and quietly beg him to withdraw the imperial edict." Qingxi first sent his confidant, Yuan Shizhi, to the capital, and he himself went to Beijing on the 13th, running around, lobbying Guan Bai and his ministers, eloquently, Eloquent.He earnestly begged the other party to withdraw the imperial decree—and just a few days ago, under his own strong request, he worked hard to get this imperial decree. This man is really too smart.All the ministers were astonished, and although there were loud voices of opposition, they still had to listen to Qingxi's proposal in the end.In the end, the court agreed to strike. The imperial court finally passed this hurdle.But the enemy is Changzhou, and Changzhou must be full of arrogance after winning the battle.Faced with such an enemy, who should be sent to ask for an armistice? "I don't think there is a more suitable candidate other than Mr. Sheng." It was Qingxi's confidant Susumu Haraichi who made this suggestion to Qingxi.Yuan hated Sheng very much, and the reason why he deliberately recommended it was because he liked Shengping, who had been able to make friends with radicals all over the world, and had many old acquaintances in Changzhou. "If Mr. Sheng went, even if he was killed, it would not be a pity for the Tokugawa family." Yuan said so.Hearing what he said, Qingxi readily agreed. "Then let's send the victory." After receiving the order, Katsuki went north along the Yodogawa embankment from Osaka to visit Yoshiki in Kyoto.Unfortunately, Qingxi went to court and was not in the mansion, so Yuan explained the matter to Sheng. "This is your supreme honor, my lord." Yuan boasted.Sheng held his pipe in his mouth and turned his head to one side.What bastard talk!He didn't bother to answer the question and didn't make a sound. Katsura originally opposed the conquest of Changzhou, but Qing Xi, Hara Ichinoshin, and old Naka Ogasawara Nagayuki and others were the main fighters.That Ogasawara had already left Ogura at this time and fled for his life at sea. "Master Ogasawara did such a disgraceful thing. The so-called main fighters are usually such people." In front of this Hara who shared his nostrils with Ogasawara, Sheng couldn't help mocking fiercely.This may be one of the reasons why Sheng is not likable. Fortunately, when Qingxi came back, he met Sheng and tried his best to persuade Sheng to accept this mission. Katsuki finally made up his mind. "Since this is the case, then the minister will take the order. However, the minister has his own way of negotiating. I wonder if the general can hand over the full power to the subordinates?" "That's natural." Qingxi said exaggeratedly. "Don't complain afterwards." Sheng said tactfully.Qingxi nodded desperately and said, "No." Although Sheng felt a little suspicious in his heart, since he had agreed, he had no choice but to put life and death aside. "I will settle the matter within a month. If you don't come back by then, the general can think that I have already been killed by the Changzhou people." Qingxi hated Sheng's pretentious posture, so he looked away and said, "Please." Then Qingxi ordered that since he is the plenipotentiary envoy of the shogunate, he must prepare travel equipment commensurate with his status. With a team of flags. Sheng smiled wryly and said, "One subject is enough." He thus rejected Qingxi's arrangement. In fact, Katsura didn't even bring his own entourage, and went to Hiroshima alone, and he didn't dress like a high-ranking shogunate official at all, wearing rough cotton clothes. Sheng Yu arrived in Hiroshima by sea on August 21. He asked Asano's family in Yizhou to convey to Changzhou the shogunate's request for a meeting, and then found an inn in Miyajima to stay. Miyajima is the domain of Itsukushima Myojin, and although it is under the jurisdiction of the Yizhou Domain, it is actually a neutral place.The spies from Changzhou are also active here.They wore foreign uniforms and carried rifles on their shoulders, and they would walk around the inn every time they came from the sea. "Sheng'an Fangshou?" They read the sign in front of the door with the guest's name on it. "I heard that this person is an envoy of the shogunate. It must be no good to come here. If you dare to act rashly, you will kill him!" They yelled loudly and even fired a few shots.People near the inn thought there was a gun battle, and some people fled to Hiroshima with their belongings and furniture on their backs. It was the same situation with the house where Sheng was staying, almost all of them fled, leaving only an old woman who took care of the daily life of this high-ranking shogunate official alone.If the world is good, how can there be such a situation? Shengliao decided that he would never return this time, so he asked the old woman to sew a lot of underwear and crotch cloth, and put on new underwear every day.The old woman knew nothing about Sheng's true identity. "May I ask what you do sir?" Hearing her question, Sheng laughed out loud. "I'm an Edo storyteller." The envoys from Changzhou did not come for a long time, and it was September. On the first day of September, Cao, the old general of the Yizhou family, came to visit. He sat outside the porch and said to Sheng who was sitting inside the house: "Changzhou has replied, and the envoy will arrive here in the next day. Therefore, we have sent the nearby The academy of the Yuan Temple is ready to be used as a place for the adults to meet the envoys." After speaking, he bowed his head and bowed deeply to Sheng. Seeing this, the old woman was taken aback, and then realized that Sheng was definitely not some Edo storyteller. Early the next morning, Sheng Youran left the inn, still in a simple attire—wearing a padded jacket, wearing a small hakama, holding a fan, and walked into the gate of Dayuan Temple.After entering the courtyard, Sheng sat down in the academy. The military envoy from Changzhou is here.The envoy was Hirosawa Bingsuke, the administrative officer of the Changzhou Domain, assisted by Inoue Munta, Ota Ichinoshin, Nagamatsu Mikami, Kawase Sadashiro and others. Hirosawa is not well-known outside the feudal clan, but he is one of the best politicians in Changzhou.At this time, he was thirty-two years old, with a burly figure and fair skin, but he was a little unbearably fat.He advanced and retreated politely, and Sheng praised him greatly.Hirosawa respected Sheng's status very much, and sat motionless on the porch, refusing to enter the house to take a seat. The deputy envoy Inoue Wenduo was also sitting outside the corridor, his face was covered with sticky plaster, and the scars left by the assassins of the Zuoba faction in the domain had not healed yet. Sheng has been fond of heroic stories since he was a child, and he knows the anecdotes of ancient heroes like the back of his hand.In diplomacy, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's approach is the most ingenious.It has become a good story that he subdued Maeda Toshiie without spending a single soldier.Sheng was determined to follow suit, so he came to Miyajima alone.However, the situation is different in that Hideyoshi was the victor at the time, while Katsuki was the envoy of the defeated shogunate.If you don't have a strong enough charisma, it may be difficult to make peace with Changzhou. Changzhou envoy Hirosawa Heusuke and others remained respectful, sitting on the porch without any intention of entering the house. "Please come in and take a seat. It's inconvenient to sit there and talk, please sit here." Sheng tried his best to persuade him over and over again, but the Changzhou people knew that their identities were different, so they didn't dare to take a step forward, and still sat there motionless.In the end Katsu stood up. "In that case, I have no choice but to sit down." As he spoke, he squeezed into the narrow verandah. The envoy from Changzhou had no choice but to smile and say, "I'll be rude if I wait." So he entered the room and took a seat.Sheng is humble, easy-going, and funny, which greatly eased the vigilance of Changzhou people. This person is an even more powerful master than the rumors, and the Changzhou people can't help but secretly admire him.It seems that Katsushi's emulation of Hideyoshi's style is effective. Changzhou also knew that Sheng had always been very sympathetic to them, and he also knew that Sheng had always firmly opposed the shogunate sending troops. Sheng was full of whimsical ideas. During the discussion, he suddenly cited the example of India. "Back then, when the warlords in India were fighting, the British took advantage of the fisherman's interests and easily invaded and occupied the entire country. Now the big powers are gearing up and eyeing Japan. At such a time of life and death, the tragedy of brotherhood must not be staged. For the sake of Japan's future Bandai, the two sides put away their weapons and shake hands to make peace." Hirosawa Hyosuke's body was covered with white and fat fat.He never acts emotionally, and the criteria for considering issues are only limited to interests and reasons, and he will never be confused by the words of the other party.I saw him still pretending to be respectful, listening carefully to Wansheng's argument, and after a while, he said: "Your argument is very reasonable, but..." He began to list one example after another, counting all the insidious actions of the shogunate before. A cunning approach to refute Katsu's point of view. "Although we trust Mr. Sheng, we cannot trust the shogunate." He said calmly, as calm as a deep pool of water. Sheng is also an extraordinary person, he nodded vigorously, and said: "What you said is very true!" Then he changed the subject, and suddenly used a rude tone to demote Muge's incompetence and shamelessness to the end. "That kind of despicable thing is definitely not something that you can deal with in a normal way. But this time, Mr. Qingxi has inherited the Tokugawa clan and has to deal with the current difficult situation. This should be considered a blessing for the country. As everyone said You know, Mr. Qingxi has always been known for being wise and courageous, and he will definitely not let things like before happen again." Hirosawa still cited some examples of the shogunate going back on their word, Katsu finally couldn't help laughing. "It was the shogunate that lost. Changzhou skillfully used strange soldiers, the soldiers were brave and good at fighting, and won the battle beautifully. Everyone is now the winner, and I am just the general of the defeated army. From ancient times to the present, I have never heard of the winner turning to the loser. Those complaining. Please stop in moderation and let the shogunate go." Rang Sheng's poisonous tongue said this, and even the prestige of the shogunate disappeared.What he thought in his heart was that under such circumstances, if he didn't talk about it, the goal of the truce would never be achieved. Hearing these words, Guangze and other people from Changzhou were speechless for a while, with an expression of waking up from a dream.Before this, although they looked down on the shogunate, they were still afraid of the Japanese ruling regime, but now, the envoys of the shogunate actually pleaded with them personally, asking them to raise their hands. We are winners!While experiencing this sense of reality, Changzhou people couldn't help admiring Sheng's open-mindedness. "My vassal completely agrees with your lord's proposition." Guangze, who was known for his calmness, turned red and couldn't hide his inner emotion.He bowed his head and promised a truce. The only thing left was the specific agreement related to the withdrawal of troops, which was resolved in the blink of an eye. "As for the shogunate army stationed in Hiroshima, when I leave Hiroshima, they will also withdraw. I just want to make sure that your clan will not create excuses such as petitioning the imperial court, and follow the retreating shogunate army all the way to Beijing. Bar?" "Won't." "I'm relieved." Sheng's tone suddenly brightened.In this way, the face of the shogunate was saved, and the reputation of Changzhou was also maintained. It is really a gratifying ending. However, Sheng always cannot escape the shadow of loneliness. The mission was accomplished, but there were no colleagues who could share the joy with him, not even a follower.On weekdays, he seldom drank alcohol, but that night, he actually drank off the wine in front of the old woman in the inn. "Old woman, I'm drunk." Sheng said drunkenly.The old woman was startled.After drinking three small cups of wine, the skinny man's face was already flushed. In the early morning of the next day, Sheng Xin thought it was a rare trip to Miyajima, so he went to worship Itsukushima Myojin. As expected of a large shrine in Xikaido.While sighing in his heart, Katsushi walked around the shrine to enjoy the scenery.As he walked, he noticed one thing: since ancient times, most of the offerings at Itsukushima Shrine were offered by military commanders.From the Genpei period to the Warring States period, military generals from all over the country sent people to pray to the Myojin here to bless them with victory on the battlefield.The victor will offer armor, swords and other things.There are countless armors and weapons collected in the Treasure Hall, such as the armor of Yuyuan Yoshie, the box containing the Lotus Sutra in Hirakiyoshi, the short sword of Takashi Ashikaga, the sword of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the spear of Motozuru Mori, the sword of Terumoto Mori, Short knife and so on. I came here this time as an envoy of the Tokugawa shogunate, and I successfully completed my mission, so I should offer something.Sheng Xin said, luckily he still had a short knife in his arms.This short knife is an unusually famous knife, and it is even said to be a treasured item of Prince Huliang of the Southern Dynasty.Sheng felt that it was a good offering, so he walked to the priest's class next to the temple, took out the knife from his arms, and said, "I want to offer this short knife." The priest sized up Sheng a few times in disbelief, then looked at Sheng's attire, showing no intention of accepting it.Cotton kimono, small kura hakama, and no entourage, most of the samurai dressed in this way have no serious background. "Hey, our company only accepts donations from orthodox families, so you don't have to." "No, the item still comes from a famous family. Sincerely, this is a treasured item of Prince Huliang." "Then who are you?" "Win." "I wonder which Master Sheng it is?" "Victory of Edo." It's no wonder that people say that Sheng has a bad temper.If he said that he was the warship minister of the shogunate, the priest would be surprised, but he deliberately did not declare his title.Even if he told the truth, the priest probably wouldn't believe that the poorly dressed thin man in front of him could be such a character. Since the priest insisted on not accepting him, Sheng had no choice.Finally, he took out ten taels of gold coins from his pocket and said that he would offer this along with it.The priest finally accepted. Sheng Tian is an optimist by nature, but his mission this time is destined to be full of tragedy.He completed his important mission, returned to Osaka by sea, and immediately rushed to Kyoto to report to Qingxi.However, Qingxi, who tirelessly persuaded him to accept the mission when he set off, had no intention of meeting him at all.After he made the request, he has been waiting for a reply below.On the third day, he was finally allowed to see him. General Sheng reported the situation of the trip to Qingxi one by one, but Qingxi remained silent.After a while, Sheng finished reporting, and Qingxi stood up without saying a word about the hard work, and went into the back room. Sheng was naturally quite unhappy.I have gone through untold hardships, risked my life, and finally completed the mission, and it can be regarded as returning home with honor. What is the general's attitude?Later, he learned from Qingxi's cronies that the unconditional peace negotiation with Changzhou had annoyed Qingxi. When Sheng set off, Qingxi clearly let him take care of it, but Qingxi was still quite dissatisfied with the way Sheng was handled.Qingxi's wishful thinking is not only to have a truce with Changzhou, but also to punish Changzhou in order to preserve the shogunate's dignity. How could there be such a selfish person!Sheng suddenly gave birth to an unknown fire.In this war, Changzhou won consecutive battles, and the shogunate suffered a crushing defeat. The defeated general begged for peace from the victor, and at the same time planned to punish the opponent. Where did such negotiations start? What is even more unexpected is that Qingxi betrays Sheng.After he sent Sheng as an envoy of truce, he changed his mind and introduced another truce policy, requesting the court to issue an "imperial order" to Changzhou. The content is as follows: the general died, and everyone mourned.It is inappropriate to cause trouble at this time, and the two sides have temporarily ceased fighting.Changzhou should withdraw its troops.This is equivalent to issuing an imperial order to Changzhou. Changzhou suddenly became furious, the situation in front of him was completely different from what Sheng had promised before!Not only that, the "temporary truce between the two sides" can also be understood as saying that after the general's mourning period expires, Changzhou will be conquered again! The Changzhou Fan refused to accept this order, but just withdrew the soldiers back to the Fan, and the entire Fan was still heavily guarded. Masaru's errand was like a child being sent out on a shopping trip.His achievements were completely ignored by Qingxi, and he ended up betraying Changzhou in the end.That being the case, Sheng naturally couldn't continue to hang out in the officialdom, and he even handed in his resignation to the old middle-aged Itakura Katsuya.At this time, only three months have passed since he was re-appointed as a warship executive.Itakura also felt that he was too pitiful, comforted him, and even found a job for him in Edo, trying to keep him.It was an errand to deal with the daily affairs of the warship drill station, and the talent for winning was basically useless.Sheng declined. When he left Kyoto, Sheng couldn't help but lament that he was in an officialdom and could not be free. "My era has passed. My ambition should be inherited by someone like Ryoma who is not bound by anything. But where is Ryoma now?" Facing his young follower and disciple Shintani Moutarou, Katsuki was filled with emotion.