I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1031: Defeat Tachibana Aoto and achieve unprecedented success! [5000]

In order to facilitate his Sonno jo campaign, Sakamoto Ryoma resolutely left his domain in 1862.

According to the laws of the Edo period, it was a serious crime for a samurai to desert his domain. Not only would the samurai be executed, but his family would also be implicated.

After Sakamoto Ryoma escaped from the feudal domain, his elder sister Otome had to divorce her, and her elder sister Sakae, who had given him a famous sword, committed suicide. His eldest brother spent a large sum of money to finally save her from disaster.

Since then, he never returned to his hometown or saw his family again.

From a legal perspective, after escaping from the feudal clan, Sakamoto Ryoma is no longer a Tosa native. He is now a true "free man" and does not belong to any force.

While Sakamoto Ryoma was making an impassioned speech, Saigo Yoshinosuke remained calm, with no expression of sadness or joy on his face.

After the former finished speaking, the latter's reaction was very calm, with almost no waves.

However, a word just mentioned by the other party caught his attention.

"Japan……"

Saigo Yoshinosuke murmured softly, as if thinking.

The New Book of Tang records: "In the first year of Xianheng (670), envoys were sent to congratulate the pacification of Goryeo. After learning Chinese, they disliked the name Wa and changed the name to Japan. The envoys said that the country had recently been exported, so they took the name as their own."

In his letter to Emperor Yang of Sui in 607, Prince Shotoku wrote brazenly, "The Son of Heaven where the sun rises writes to the Son of Heaven where the sun sets."

Although the name of the country "Japan" has existed since ancient times,... people today do not have a unified understanding that "we are compatriots."

To put it more bluntly: people from Choshu would think of themselves as people from Choshu, and people from Satsuma would think of themselves as people from Satsuma, and they would not have the idea that "we are all Japanese".

Since the Warring States Period, long-term division has led to alienation among the people.

The shogunate and the various feudal domains were independent political systems. Although they spoke the same language and used the same writing system, they had no concept of "great unification" at all.

Therefore, when Sakamoto Ryoma made such a bold statement - not to gain personal benefits, nor to seek the welfare of a certain feudal state, but based on the newer and more far-reaching height of "Japan" - Saigo Yoshinosuke could not help but feel fresh.

About 10 seconds later, he curled his lips and said half-jokingly:
"Sakamoto-kun, what's wrong with you? Are you no longer a businessman and want to be a strategist?"

Facing Saigo Yoshinosuke's ridicule, Sakamoto Ryoma remained unmoved and looked solemn:

"Saigo-kun, I'm serious, so please don't joke with me now."

Seeing that the other party's attitude was very firm, Saigo Yoshinosuke consciously put away his smile.

He pursed his lips, crossed his hands into his sleeves, and said quietly:
"Sakamoto-kun, you are not the first person to suggest to me the 'establishment of a Western Alliance'."

"Ichichi-kun gave me the same suggestion a while ago."

Ijichichi-kun - that is, Ijichi Ryuemon, the military advisor of the Satsuma army.

"You guys make a lot of sense."

"We will establish the Satsuma-Choshu Alliance and then the Western Alliance. This will give us the power to fight against the shogunate."

"but--"

Hearing the word "but", Ryoma Sakamoto immediately perked up, held his breath, and listened carefully.

As we all know, the words before "but" are all nonsense and politeness, and the content after it is the main topic.

Yoshinosuke Saigo looked straight at Ryoma Sakamoto with sharp eyes.

"Why do I have to establish the 'Western Alliance'?"

"Let me explain it more clearly - why do I have to go against the shogunate?"

"Right now, Tachibana Aoto has expelled the 'Ichibashi Faction', subdued the Oshu clans, and seized power."

"The shogunate, the Qinjin clan, plus the Aizu clan, the Kuwana clan and other staunch allies... Tachibana Aoto now controls half of the world."

"Its power has reached a peak never seen in the past hundred years."

"Even if we establish a 'Western Alliance', we may not be able to defeat such a powerful enemy."

"Why do I have to fight such a dangerous battle?"

"Why don't I obey Tachibana Aoto?"

Saigo Yoshinosuke paused at this point.

After a brief thought, he continued:

"To be honest, just a few days ago, an envoy from Tachibana Aoto visited us."

Upon hearing this, Ryoma Sakamoto's facial expression changed subtly.

Although he was surprised, he kept it to himself and continued to listen.

"The conditions proposed by the other party are very simple."

"As long as Satsuma can remain neutral and not lean towards any side, the shogunate will forgive the past and will even reward you generously."

"The benefits given by Tachibana Aoto include but are not limited to promotion of official position and division of Choshu's territory."

"If Satsuma is willing to side with the shogunate, the reward will be even greater."

"So, Sakamoto-kun, do you understand?"

"Even if we remain neutral, Satsuma will still be the most powerful clan in the West, and our interests will not suffer any loss."

"Now, Sakamoto-kun, please tell me, what reasons do I have to establish the 'Western Alliance' and rebel against the shogunate?"

After he finished speaking, he leaned back slightly, raised his chin, and looked like "Let me see how you respond."

Ryoma Sakamoto was not flustered by Saigo Yoshinosuke's aggressive statement.

He calmly asked back:
"Xiang-kun, have you ever read Su Xun's On the Six Kingdoms?"

Without waiting for the other party to respond, he recited to himself:

"'To serve Qin with land is like trying to put out a fire with fuel. The fire will not go out unless the fuel is exhausted'!"

"The six states in Guandong thought that as long as they offered their land and bribed Qin, they could gain peace and prosperity, but they were defeated one by one by Qin!"

"Xixiang-kun, how can you guarantee that Qing Deng is not the ambitious King of Qin?"

"If Choshu is defeated, the Western Kingdom will completely lose the ability to compete with the shogunate!"

"By then, Satsuma, Tosa, Hizen, and all the western feudal domains will become meat on their chopping boards! Let Tachibana Aoto slaughter them!"

"As long as Ju Qingdeng has that intention, he can just march westward and completely wipe out the Western Kingdom, just like he did the Qin Kingdom back then!"

"Qin destroyed the six kingdoms, Qinjin eliminated the Western Kingdom... Oh, they are all 'Qin', what a wonderful coincidence."

"Lord Saigo, your submission will only lead Satsuma to repeat the mistakes of Qi—the people of Qi never bribed Qin, but they were eventually destroyed after the five kingdoms were relocated!"

Ryoma Sakamoto's tone was very firm and his words were very sharp, he was almost pointing at Saigo Yoshinosuke's nose and scolding him.

However, the latter remained indifferent.

He looked at Sakamoto Ryoma expressionlessly.

Although he didn't say anything, his expression... seemed to be urging him: What? Are you done? Is that all you want to say?
Seeing that the other party didn't react at all, Sakamoto Ryoma frowned slightly, and a hint of anxiety flashed in his eyes.

Then, as if he had made up his mind, he took a deep breath:

"Saigo-kun, is this the extent of your magnanimity? Are you willing to be a foil to Tachibana Aoto?"

After these words were spoken, Saigo Yoshinosuke finally reacted—his pupils shrank slightly and his eyes flickered.

The changes in his expression were all seen by Ryoma Sakamoto.

Seeing this, Sakamoto Ryoma knew that it worked, so he quickly continued:
"When I was still a wandering ronin, I traveled through many villages and towns."

"Wherever I go, I always hear people saying: Now is the era of Niou Tachibana Aoto!"

"People only know Tachibana Aoto, but not Saigo Yoshinosuke."

"That's no wonder. After all, Tachibana Aoto is a rare genius that only appears once in a thousand years."

"He is only 23 years old this year, but he has already achieved unprecedented achievements with his three-foot sword."

"Even Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who once unified the world, could not compare to him."

"It is undoubtedly quite painful to live in the same era as a genius."

"My own brilliance is completely obscured, as if I can only serve as the other person's foil forever."

"But, it is precisely because the opponent is so strong that it is worth challenging!"

"Saigo-kun, let me ask you again: Are you willing to be a foil to Tachibana Aoto?"

"Are you willing to be stepped on by Tachibana Aoto?"

"If you give in to Ju Qingdeng, you will never have the chance to surpass him!"

"If you want to surpass Tachibana Aoto, the best way is undoubtedly to defeat him head-on!"

Sakamoto Ryoma became more and more excited as he spoke, and subconsciously leaned forward to get closer to the other person.

At the end of his words, he almost roared, and veins on his forehead popped out like worms.

As he finished speaking, the scene fell into silence.

They faced each other, stared into each other's eyes... Sakamoto Ryoma was waiting for the other party's reply, while the latter had a gloomy face, and no one knew what to think.

“…Hehehe.”

Suddenly, a chuckle broke the silence. "Sakamoto-kun, it's a waste of your talent to be a businessman. You have the talent to be a strategist."

"I have to admit that your last words hit the nail on the head."

"Am I willing to be Tachibana Aoto's foil? Is that even a question?"

Instantly, he frowned, his eyes became sharp and he looked angry.

His expression had already announced his answer.

Seeing this, Ryoma Sakamoto let out a silent sigh. His originally tense facial lines gradually relaxed and a smile appeared.

"Challenging Tachibana Aoto... This is probably the most dangerous battle I have ever fought in my life."

"But that's exactly what I want!"

Saigo Yoshinosuke twitched the corners of his mouth and smiled.

"Sakamoto-kun, you don't belong to any faction. With your identity, you are indeed very suitable to be an envoy. So..."

Upon hearing this, Sakamoto Ryoma raised his eyebrows, and a confident look appeared in his eyes.

Without waiting for the other party to finish, he bent down slightly, supported himself with his fists, saluted, and said in a sonorous and clear voice:
"Please leave it to me! I, Sakamoto Ryoma, will promote the 'Western Alliance' at the cost of my life!"

……

……

A certain sea area east of Edo Bay——

Gah! Gah! Gah! Gah!
A seabird flapped its wings, chirped, and flew across the sky, across the sea, and over the three steam battleships.

But the three warships were quietly anchored on the sea, rising and falling with the waves.

Yamata no Orochi stood on the deck, with his hands on the railing, looking at the distant skyline.

Otakemaru stood quietly behind him, like a shadow, without a sound or a trace.

At this time, Otakemaru's sister, Aling, came forward and looked at Yamata no Orochi with a worried look on her face.

"Lord Orochi... the sea breeze is very cold, please return to the cabin as soon as possible."

After saying that, she turned her head and glanced at Otakemaru beside her.

Otakemaru gave her a look and gestured.

He was born deaf and is a deaf-mute. Only his adoptive father Yamata no Orochi and his sister Aling can communicate with him normally.

"That's what my brother said! He's worried about your health, too!"

Facing the concern of the Otakemaru brothers and sisters, Yamata no Orochi smiled faintly:
"Xiao Ling, thank you for your concern. I'm in good health, don't worry."

"I've been staying in the cabin for the past few days. I'm almost bored."

"Today's sea breeze is not too strong, just right to wake me up."

Although he said so, A Ling did not dare to take it lightly at all.

She knew that after receiving the news of the death of Shuten-doji and others, Yamata-no-Orochi's physical and mental condition had been poor.

When they launched the "Amano Spear" at the beginning, they had anticipated that Shuten-doji and others would be in great danger.

Crossing half of Japan and launching a surprise attack on Edo...it is almost impossible to escape unscathed from a battle of this scale.

Although he was well prepared, but... when the news of the death of Shuten Douji and others came, Yamata no Orochi still cried loudly, his hair and beard trembled, and he almost couldn't breathe several times, which scared Aling and others.

Yamata no Orochi's health is not good to begin with, and crying so hard may cause serious burden to its body.

Therefore, in recent days, A Ling and others have been taking care of him carefully, fearing that his chronic illness would relapse.

At this time, Yamata no Orochi seemed to see through Ling's worries and smiled:
"No matter how many years I grow older, I can never get used to separation from life and death."

"However, unfortunately, since I was a child, I have often been surrounded by separation and death."

"The familiar faces disappeared one by one."

"After a while, I developed a strong character. No matter how great the grief is, I can endure it."

When he said this, he seemed to recall something from the past. His expression became complicated and his hands on the railing clenched unconsciously.

Suddenly, a deep male voice came from the cabin:

"Orochi, you are here."

The real owner of the three warships, Elodie's biological father, Mael d'Orleans, walked slowly towards the Yamata-no-Orochi with his hands behind his back.

The Yamata no Orochi turned its head and looked at the person who came from the sound.

As he turned his head, the complex expression on his face quickly disappeared, and that iconic indifferent smile returned to his cheek.

"Mr. Orleans, good morning. The sea breeze is very comfortable today. It turns out that the sea also has such a gentle side."

"Well, good morning. Sometimes it is violent, sometimes it is gentle. This is the charm of the sea, which attracts countless explorers."

After responding indifferently, Orleans moved to the side of Yamata no Orochi and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

"I gave you weapons, helped you form the 'Slavic Legion', and assisted you in the surprise attack on Nongwei - I have done all three of the things you asked me to do."

"At this point, the contract between you and me has been completed. No one owes anyone anything."

Yamata no Orochi nodded slightly, his smile growing even wider.

"Yes, both what I promised to do for you and what you promised to do for me have come to a perfect end."

"Mr. Orleans, thanks to you, our plan can move forward quickly."

"On behalf of the French Party, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to you."

Facing the sincere thanks from Yamata no Orochi, Maher did not even raise an eyebrow, and responded without hesitation:

"Nothing to thank you for. I'm just following the contract."

As he spoke, he glanced at the other person with curiosity.

"Although this is none of my business, I'll still ask you a question. Orochi, what are you going to do next?"

"You paid such a huge price, but you failed to capture Edo Castle, and you failed to kill Tokugawa Iemochi. In the end, your 'Amano Spear' failed."

"The 'Slavic Legion' was completely wiped out, and Shuten-doji and other leaders were unfortunately killed in the battle."

"The so-called 'severe damage to vitality' is nothing more than this."

"I'm really curious, what do you want to do next?"

"Should we continue to fight against the shogunate? Or should we take a break?"

Maer's ruthless and blunt remarks immediately earned him an unhappy look from A Ling.

In comparison, Otakemaru was very calm—because he couldn't hear anything at all.

From a while ago, he stared straight at the sea, observing the fish swimming in the water, motionless, except for blinking his eyelids from time to time, just like a puppet.

"You are right, Monsieur Orleans."

But the Yamata no Orochi just laughed “Haha” and didn’t seem annoyed at all.

"In terms of effectiveness, the 'Amanuma Spear' is certainly not perfect."

"However, judging from the final result, it is not entirely accurate to call it a 'failure'."

"The original intention of launching the 'Amano Spear' was to weaken the power and prestige of the shogunate to the greatest extent, and then stimulate the desires of the 'Ichibashi faction' and the ambitious people in the western domains."

When talking about the word "desire", Yamata no Orochi emphasized the word.

"Let's not talk about the latter for now, the former's desire is already clear."

"As soon as the war ended, the 'Ichibashi Faction' immediately rebelled, and they almost succeeded."

"What a pity! Niou is really too powerful. He was able to turn the tables in such an unfavorable situation."

"Although the rebellion of the 'Ichibashi faction' was unsuccessful, they succeeded in causing a split in the shogunate."

"A large number of direct senso defected to the 'Northern Shogunate', dispersing the original manpower and power of the shogunate."

"Even someone as strong as Tachibana Aoto cannot restore the shogunate's strength in such a short time."

"As long as we seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we may be able to defeat Qing Deng, overthrow the shogunate, and achieve unprecedented achievements. Mr. Orleans, do you think the ambitious people in the western vassal states can resist this huge temptation?"

"According to my observation, whether it was Saigo Yoshinosuke of Satsuma, Katsura Kogoro of Choshu, or the 'Three Heroes of Tosa' of Tosa, all of them were ambitious and ambitious."

As Yamata no Orochi spoke, he slowly lowered his voice and his tone became meaningful.

"The Fazhu Party we established is a secret society."

"We are not like Satsuma and Choshu, who have vast territories and a large population."

"If we want to make a profit, we can only fish in troubled waters."

"If the water isn't muddy, try to make it muddy."

"Thanks to the 'Tianzhu Spear', the water in the world has become turbid. We will have a lot to do next!"

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PS: If nothing unexpected happens, the next chapter will be the last chapter of this volume. The day after tomorrow, we will be able to open the 6th volume "Operation Marine"!