I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1030: Establishing the "Satsuma-Choshu Alliance"! Sakamoto Ryoma's Volunteer [4500]

Before the other party could finish his words, Katsura Kogoro's eyes widened, his facial expression dominated by intense horror.

Because he couldn't believe his ears, he couldn't help but ask back:
"What did you say?"

Iwakura Tomomi smiled slightly and slowly explained in detail:

"Your Majesty is loyal to the shogunate and is trying to make things difficult for us at every turn."

"It's okay for a while."

"But how can this continue for a long time?"

"In this case, why not just change to an obedient emperor."

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is only thirteen years old and is easy to control."

"If conditions permit, we may as well get rid of His Majesty and promote the Crown Prince to the throne."

This time, Iwakura Tomomi explained in great detail, so there was no possibility of misunderstanding.

Katsura Kogoro took a deep breath and his face turned slightly pale.

After a while, he took several deep breaths and suppressed the fear in his heart.

"Mr. Iwakura, do you know what you are saying? As subjects, how can we kill the king?"

His tone was very strong and contained a hint of condemnation.

However... just as he finished speaking, Iwakura Tomomi shrugged and sneered as if he had heard a funny joke.

"As a subject, how can I kill the king... Mr. Gui, these words can only be used to deceive fools, don't let them fool yourself."

With just this one sentence, he choked Katsura Kogoro.

The Emperor’s loyal subjects… do exist, but Katsura Kogoro is definitely not one of them.

From the beginning to the end, Katsura Kogoro had no loyalty to the imperial court or the royal family.

His positioning of the emperor was consistent - a very useful tool.

Whether it is supporting the imperial court or treating the royal family with courtesy, it is just a gesture.

After all, their political slogan was "Respect the Emperor and Expel the Barbarians", so even if they were unwilling in their hearts, they had to hold their noses and respect the emperor.

At first, the "Zunrang faction" was divided into two factions.

One group is represented by Hisaka Genzui, who really want to restore the authority of the imperial court and the royal family and realize the restoration of the kingly way.

The other faction is represented by Takasugi Shinsaku and Katsura Kogoro. They are using the name of Sonnōjo to overthrow the shogunate! Seize this great opportunity that has not come once in a thousand years! Overthrow the shogunate and establish an immortal cause!
With the death of Kusaka Genzui, the former has completely disappeared, and the latter has become the leader of the "Sonjo faction".

In other words, today's "Zonjo Faction" is in fact the "Anti-Qing Faction"!
In order to overthrow the shogunate, one must have a slogan that stands up to scrutiny and can win the hearts of the people to the greatest extent possible - and "Respect the King and Expel the Barbarians" is an excellent choice.

The vast majority of the people had very low levels of education and were full of enthusiasm.

Therefore, the only way to hypnotize and exploit them was to use a religious method - repeatedly emphasizing "respect the emperor and expel the barbarians", making them believe that what they were doing was right and making them full of hatred for the shogunate.

To put it bluntly, "Respect the King and Expel the Barbarians" is just a slogan, which is actually the same as "Amitabha".

Only fools would truly believe in the so-called "respect the king and expel the barbarians". The leadership headed by Katsura Kogoro and Omura Masujiro all scoffed at it.

At this point, anyone with a little common sense can see that the "barbarians" cannot be driven out, and the only way out is to "learn from the barbarians' strengths."

On the one hand, they shouted "Respect the King and Expel the Barbarians", and on the other hand, they learned advanced skills from the barbarians without any psychological burden... In this way, there appeared a strange phenomenon that people shouted "Respect the King and Expel the Barbarians", but when using Western equipment such as guns and cannons, they had no resistance at all.

In fact, not to mention the emperor with whom he had almost no friendship, Katsura Kogoro did not have the slightest loyalty even to his own feudal lord, whom he met often.

None of the "righteous faction", "secular faction" or even the neutral faction took Mori Yoshichika seriously.

One of the reasons was certainly that Maori Yoshichika was too incompetent.

No matter what you say, Mao Li Jingqin will only reply with "Okay! Let's do it", which makes it difficult for people to respect him.

On the other hand, Katsura Kogoro has not been poisoned by the idea of ​​blind loyalty and has a lot of Warring States style left over.

The warriors of the Warring States Period were extremely flexible, and they defected as frequently as drinking water.

Tokugawa Ieyasu's grandfather and father both died in rebellions by their subordinates, so that "the loyalty and righteousness of the Mikawa samurai are unparalleled" became a big joke among the people.

Katsura Kogoro never thought that Mori Takashige was some kind of "noble race" who could not be violated.

Mori Takashika was very obedient. No matter what request was made to him, he would only answer "Yes! Let's do it!", so Katsura Kogoro had no intention of causing trouble for Mori Takashika.

If one day in the future, Mori Takashige no longer obeys him and goes against him... he will force Mori Takashige to abdicate without hesitation! Replace him with an obedient person to be the lord of Choshu!

In this respect, he is no different from Iwakura Tomomi, neither of whom would be hindered by so-called "loyalty."

But... whenever the word "regicide" passed through his mind, Katsura Kogoro couldn't help but frown.

"...Mr. Iwakura, no matter what, 'regicide' is too extreme! If it gets out, the consequences will be disastrous!"

Killing the Emperor...Words like treason and rebellion against God are not enough to describe its seriousness!
The last emperor to be persecuted to death was Emperor Go-Daigo (the 96th Emperor) of the Nanboku-cho period. He was suspected to have been poisoned while fleeing due to the turmoil of the Nanboku-cho period. And this is just a suspicion. The real cause of Emperor Go-Daigo's death has not yet been determined by historians.

The earliest record of an emperor being killed directly by his subjects can be traced back to the Asuka period 1300 years ago!
In 592, Emperor Sushun (the 32nd Emperor) was assassinated in a palace coup because of his opposition to the powerful minister Soga no Umako. He was the first emperor in Japanese historical records to be clearly murdered by his ministers.

From this we can see that there is almost no precedent for "killing the emperor" - few people can make such a decision - the most they can do is exile.

Even Katsura Kogoro, who was determined, did not dare to make a decision on such an action.

Looking at the frowning Katsura Kogoro, Iwakura Tomomi curled up the corners of his mouth and then burst into laughter:
"Hahaha! Mr. Gui, there's no need to be nervous."

"I am only making a suggestion. I am not going to get rid of Your Majesty right now."

“Even if we force the crown prince to take the throne, it won’t necessarily improve the current situation.”

"You can regard what I just said as a joke."

Hearing what Iwakura Tomomi said, Katsura Kogoro's expression eased a little.

However, the look of horror in his eyes did not completely disappear.

Just kidding... He doesn't think this is a joke!

He knew Iwakura Tomomi's style too well.

The man in front of me is a poisonous warrior who is dubbed "Gecko" because of his cold-bloodedness and unscrupulousness... Is there anything in this world that he dare not do?
Iwakura Tomomi seemed reluctant to talk much about the emperor.

After briefly bringing up the topic, he moved to Katsura Kogoro's side, stood shoulder to shoulder with him, and looked towards the west together.

"Mr. Katsura, even though I brought the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and two sacred artifacts, we are still not strong enough to fight against Tachibana Aoto."

"If we want to counter Tachibana Aoto, we can only establish the 'Western Alliance' - I guess you think so too?"

Katsura Kogoro nodded slightly in agreement.

Iwakura Tomomi continued:
"Mr. Gui, in your opinion, if we want to establish the 'Western Alliance', how should we proceed?"

Katsura Kogoro answered without hesitation:

"Satsuma is the key to breaking the impasse. Satsuma is the most powerful domain in the western part of the country. As long as we establish the Cho Satsuma Alliance first, we can put pressure on Tosa and Hizen, which will greatly benefit the subsequent negotiations."

Iwakura Tomomi smiled:

"Mr. Gui, you and I are confidants. You and I think alike. I think so too. It's just that..."

He paused, a hint of bitterness appearing on his face.

"Establishing the 'Changsa Alliance'... I don't want to be discouraging, but this is really too much to ask."

Katsura Kogoro did not reply but just smiled bitterly.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the biggest obstacle to establishing the "Changsa Alliance" is not the comparison of strength between the two sides, but the deep blood feud between the two sides!
The two sides have been at war since the coup on August 18 last year.

Whether it was the August 18th coup that drove Choshu out of Kyoto, or the Kyoto Summer Campaign that caused Choshu to suffer heavy losses, Satsuma made a lot of efforts.

The blades of the Satsuma samurai were stained with the blood of the Choshu people... So it was really hard to ask the Choshu people to regard the Satsuma people as their allies. Even today, Choshu's patriots still write words such as "Qin monster", "Hui traitor" and "Satsu thief" on the soles of their shoes to vent their anger.

How easy is it to bridge the gap between the two factions?

Katsura Kogoro folded his arms, remained silent for a while, and then said quietly:

“There is a famous saying in the West: There are no permanent friends, only permanent interests.”

“I like this sentence very much and I agree with it.”

“Yesterday’s enemy can become today’s ally as long as there are common interests.”

"Kichinosuke Saigo is not a layman who is content with being ordinary."

"If he has lofty ambitions, there is no way he would not be interested in the Changsha Alliance."

"To overthrow the shogunate and establish immortal achievements - this is the common interest of Satsuma and Choshu."

"In this case, there is no such thing as 'impossible to negotiate'!"

After saying this, Katsura Kogoro frowned, his eyes sparkled, and his expression was determined.

……

……

Satsuma Domain, Kagoshima Castle (Satsuma Domain Headquarters), a teahouse -

The burly Yoshinosuke Saigo crossed his legs in a casual posture.

At this moment, he was bending over, preparing tea with clumsy technique.

In the huge tea room, there were only him and one other person - a young man sitting in front of Saigo Yoshinosuke.

This man is tall, dark-skinned, of average appearance, and about thirty years old.

It is worth mentioning that his hairstyle and dress are quite eye-catching.

He did not shave his hair at the top of his head, nor did he comb his hair into a neat bun. His long hair was just casually combed back.

Because his hair is naturally curly, if he doesn't tie it into a bun, the hair will stick up and look very messy.

The collar of his shirt was not tucked in, and his hakama had no creases.

According to the samurai etiquette of the Edo period, the front of a samurai's hakama should have five folds and the back should have two folds - the former represents the five relationships and five constant virtues of Confucianism, and the latter represents loyalty and filial piety.

Any samurai who did not crease his hakama would be considered an undisciplined and uneducated rude person.

His messy clothes and messy curly hair...at first glance, he looks like a bohemian wanderer.

After a while, Saigo Yoshinosuke put down the tea whisk and pushed the tea bowl in his hand to the young man's knees.

"Come on, drink it, this is my confident work."

The young man picked up the tea bowl without hesitation and took a big gulp.

"how is the taste?"

“…To be honest, it’s very unpalatable.”

"Ah, the tea ceremony is indeed difficult."

Faced with the young man's honest answer, Saigo Yoshinosuke not only did not get angry, but laughed heartily.

After a while, he stopped smiling and changed the subject:
"Okay, let's get down to business. Longma, what brings you here suddenly?"

Seeing that the other party got straight to the point, the young man... Ryoma Sakamoto, slowly put down the tea bowl in his hand and put on a serious expression.

Sakamoto Ryoma - a talented swordsman born in Tosa Domain and once famous in Edo.

He was originally a member of the Tosa Kinno-Tai Party, but later withdrew from the party because he disagreed with Takechi Hanpeita's radical ideas.

From then on, he wandered around, looking for a way to save the country on his own.

By chance, he met Yoshinosuke Saigo.

Sakamoto Ryoma at that time... to put it bluntly, he was just a nobody.

Although he once won the Edo martial arts competition and was famous in Edo, that was many years ago.

He has not achieved any achievement, and apart from his excellent swordsmanship, he has almost nothing to show for it.

But even so, Yoshinosuke Saigo still admired Ryoma Sakamoto very much.

He rejected all objections and invited Sakamoto Ryoma: Come to Satsuma! I will provide you with "props" and "stage"!
In this way, Ryoma Sakamoto ended his wandering life and began to take root in Satsuma.

Yoshinosuke Saigo saw that the other party was a free and easy person, so he did not mention the words "recruit" or "employ", giving him a high degree of freedom.

Therefore, Sakamoto Ryoma was not a subordinate of Saigo Yoshinosuke, and there was no strict superior-subordinate relationship between the two parties.

To be precise, he was more like a guest of Saigo Yoshinosuke.

Now is the age of the sea! If we want to enrich our country and strengthen our military, we must develop shipping and do more business with Westerners - this is what Ryoma Sakamoto advocates.

So, with the help of Yoshinosuke Saigo, Ryoma Sakamoto gathered a group of like-minded partners and established a trading company called "Kameyama Shachu", specializing in shipping business.

Perhaps due to his family bloodline, Sakamoto Ryoma has a talent for business.

Sakamoto Ryoma's ancestors made their fortune through business and purchased samurai citizenship with their strong financial resources.

By the time of Sakamoto Ryoma, his family had become one of the largest wine merchants in Tosa Domain. Although they could not be said to be as wealthy as a country, they were definitely very wealthy.

In short, under the management of Ryoma Sakamoto, Kameyamasha has developed vigorously and prospered.

On weekdays, Ryoma Sakamoto and Yoshinosuke Saigo had little contact, as both were busy with their own things.

However, today, Ryoma Sakamoto suddenly approached Yoshinosuke Saigo - "Saigo-kun, do you have time? I have something important to discuss with you!" - he said this with a serious expression.

Saigo Yoshinosuke couldn't ignore the other party's expression and words.

Then, there were the scenes recorded above.

After putting down the tea bowl, Sakamoto Ryoma sat up straighter:
"Saigo-kun, I'll say it straight: please form an alliance with Choshu! Promote the 'Satsuma-Choshu Alliance'! Then unite the entire western region! Together we can attack the shogunate!"

"'Satsuma-Choshu Alliance'?"

Saigo Yoshinosuke raised his eyebrows with a playful expression.

Longma nodded vigorously:

"That's right!"

"The shogunate is a rotten tree with rotten roots."

“Even pruning and fertilizing can’t bring it back to life!”

"When dealing with a rotten tree that cannot be cured, what we should do is to uproot it and then plant a new one!"

"If we don't overthrow the shogunate, this country... Japan will not be reborn!"

"And to achieve this great cause, the unity and cooperation of the Western feudal lords is indispensable!"

"Among the various feudal domains in the west, Choshu is the most important! We should prioritize the establishment of the Satsuma-Choshu Alliance!"

"Saigo-kun, Satsuma is the most powerful domain in the west. You should stand up and fight for everyone!"

"If you don't mind, I, Sakamoto Ryoma, am willing to be an envoy to contact the Western feudal lords and contribute to the establishment of the 'Western Alliance'!"

"I don't belong to any faction. Tosa Domain has already removed me from the list. It's only right for me to be the envoy!"

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