I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1092 An Important Meeting Concerning Japan's Future [4800]

In recent months, Sakamoto Ryoma has been running himself ragged trying to forge the Satsuma-Choshu alliance.

Today in Choshu, tomorrow in Satsuma; today crossing the Shimonoseki Strait, tomorrow gazing at Sakurajima volcano.

[Note: Sakurajima Volcano: An active volcano located in Satsuma Prefecture.]

Sakamoto Ryoma had long been a ronin who had left his domain. Legally speaking, he did not belong to any domain, so it was most appropriate for a "free man" like him to act as a mediator between the two domains.

Although Sakamoto Ryoma tried his best, even the most eloquent words could not hide the fact that the negotiations were not progressing smoothly.

Of the three major battles of last year—the August 18th coup, the Kyoto Summer Campaign, and the Choshu Campaign—Satsuma consistently stood on the opposite side of Choshu.

These brutal battles, one after another, forged an irreconcilable blood feud between the leaders of Sa and Chang.

Even today, many people from Choshu still harbor hatred towards Satsuma, shouting slogans such as "We'd rather Choshu be reduced to ashes than bow down to Satsuma."

Although the Choshu campaign a few months ago was accomplished through Saigo Kinosuke's underhanded tactics, which dismantled the Choshu coalition from within and allowed Choshu to preserve its national structure and gain a precious respite, many Choshu people still do not appreciate it.

Even the heroes of Choshu, led by Katsura Kogoro, couldn't help but feel resistant to the "Satsuma-Choshu Alliance".

As for Samoa... the situation is more complicated.

Despite Sakamoto Ryoma's best efforts, the Satsuma leaders, including Saigo Kinosuke and Komatsu Tateto, always seemed uninterested. It was unclear whether they genuinely didn't want to join forces with Choshu or were intentionally trying to whet Choshu's appetite.

Despite the unsuccessful negotiation process, Sakamoto Ryoma was gratified that he was not fighting alone, as there was someone willing to stand with him and dedicate all their efforts to bringing about the "Satsuma-Choshu Alliance".

This person was Shintaro Nakaoka, who was also from Tosa.

Shintaro Nakaoka – a highly respected loyalist who was once a member of the Tosa Loyalist Party.

Following the coup on August 18, the Sovereign Movement fell into an unprecedented low ebb. The pro-shogunate forces launched a large-scale counterattack against the Sovereign Movement, and the Tosa Domain also began to forcefully suppress the Sovereign Movement, leading to the downfall of the Tosa Loyalist Party.

To seek refuge, Shintaro Nakaoka resolutely left his domain and went into exile in Mitajiri of the Choshu Domain.

Soon after, he became the unifying coordinator for patriots in the Choshu Domain who had suffered the same fate. He also became a retainer of Sanjo Sanetomi, a court noble who had fallen into exile in Mitajiri, and served as an important liaison between patriots in Choshu and other regions.

He fought valiantly in both the Summer Siege of Kyoto and the anti-shogunate campaign (the Choshu Campaign).

After witnessing the Choshu Domain being unjustly labeled as an "enemy of the court," the harmful and useless conflicts among various domains, and the oppression of those who advocated for the restoration of the emperor and the expulsion of foreigners, Shintaro Nakaoka developed his policy from the theory of "revering the emperor and expelling foreigners" to the theory of uniting powerful domains in various regions to overthrow the shogunate by force.

Therefore, together with Sanjo Sanetomi, he contacted the patriots who wanted to leave the domain, acted as their unifying coordinator, and traveled between the patriots in Choshu and Satsuma, trying to promote the "Satsuma-Choshu Alliance".

He astutely realized that in order to overthrow the Edo Shogunate led by "Niou" Tachibana Aoto, it was necessary to gather the full strength of the western domains.

To achieve this, the first thing to do is to break down the barriers between Satsuma and Choshu!

This idea coincided perfectly with that of Sakamoto Ryoma.

And so, the two like-minded individuals began working closely together.

Sakamoto Ryoma was in charge of lobbying Choshu, while Nakaoka Shintaro was in charge of lobbying Satsuma.

With their combined efforts, the negotiations finally made progress – the two sides agreed to meet in Shimonoseki.

On that day, Katsura Kogoro arrived at the negotiation venue on time.

However, an unexpected situation occurred.

As we all know, it is common for major events that influence the course of history to "unsurprisingly happen".

On that day, Saigo Kinosuke, who was supposed to be there, stood up Katsura Kogoro, saying that he had received an urgent message and had to go to Kyoto.

Such behavior enraged Katsura Kogoro, and the group of Choshu heroes accompanying him were equally furious.

"Too deceiving!"

"How dare you look down on us!"

"Such an important meeting cannot be allowed to be attended and dismissed so casually!"

They were unwilling to bow down to Samoa in the first place, and reluctantly agreed to the meeting, only to be stood up – a truly humiliating disgrace.

Since none of the Satsuma representatives showed up, the furious Katsura Kogoro and his companions had nowhere to vent their anger, so they could only take it out on Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro.

At that moment, Katsura Kogoro and the others surrounded the two of them, casting murderous, icy glares at them.

Although Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro, who were unjustly implicated, felt wronged, they had nothing to say and could only obediently await their fate.

Katsura Kogoro drew his sword Muramasa, pointed the tip at Sakamoto Ryoma's nose, and said sternly:
"Sakamoto-kun, you keep saying that 'Saigo Kinosuke is really looking forward to meeting me,' is this what you call 'looking forward'?"

Sakamoto Ryoma sat up straight, calm and composed, and said solemnly, word by word:
"I didn't expect things to turn out this way."

"Although I could come up with a hundred excuses, the fact that Saigo broke his promise is undeniable."

“As the mediator, I should take responsibility for this.”

"Whether you kill me or torture me, I, Sakamoto Ryoma, will have no complaints."

After Sakamoto Ryoma finished speaking, Nakaoka Shintaro also showed a resolute expression as if he were facing death.

Despite his fury and rage, Katsura Kogoro was ultimately a hero known for his composure.

He suppressed his anger, allowing reason to prevail again. He did not make things difficult for Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro. After angrily swinging his blade a few times in the air, he let them leave.

As the two were leaving, Katsura Kogoro uttered a harsh threat:

"From this day forward, do not come to me again! And do not mention any alliance to me again! We, Choshu, do not need the assistance of Satsuma!"

Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro ignored Katsura Kogoro's warning without hesitation.

No sooner had they left Shimonoseki than they headed straight for Kyoto to find Saigo Kinosuke and investigate the specific reasons behind the "pigeon incident."

Faced with their questioning, Saigo Kichinosuke was taken aback and explained that he did not know he would be meeting in Shimonoseki when he left Satsuma.

This reason...with just a little thought, you'll find it's quite illogical.

This is not some ordinary dinner party, but an important meeting involving the two domains of Kanto and even the future of Japan. How could they not even know the exact location of the meeting?
Despite the absurd reasons given by Saigo Kinosuke, Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro had no choice but to accept them.

The exact reason why Saigo Kichinosuke broke his promise to Choshu is now difficult to ascertain.

One day, a rumor suddenly began to circulate in Samoa—

Kichinosuke Saigo knew the meeting place, and he genuinely wanted to meet Kogoro Katsura; he had no intention of breaking his promise.

But just as he was about to arrive at Shimonoseki, he suddenly received concrete intelligence: he was being followed by shogunate spies.

For safety reasons, he lied and said he had "something urgent to attend to," then changed course and headed south towards Kyoto.

Although this rumor seems quite plausible, the exact reason is probably only known to Saigo Kinosuke himself.

In any case, after Saigo Kinosuke gave his reasons and solemnly apologized to Choshu, the matter was finally put to rest.

Sakamoto Ryoma realized that the rift between Satsuma and Choshu could not be eliminated overnight, so he changed his strategy—first, to establish a certain relationship of mutual benefit between the two domains.

Choshu lacked weapons, while Satsuma had them; Satsuma lacked provisions, while Choshu had them—the two complemented each other perfectly.

Thus, under Sakamoto Ryoma's impetus, the two domains began secret trade.

Katsura Kogoro dispatched Ito Shunsuke and Shido Bunta to Nagasaki to purchase warships and weapons from arms dealer Glover in the name of the Satsuma Domain.

Although Choshu suffered heavy losses due to repeated attacks from the shogunate and pro-shogunate forces, its foundation remained—the vast wealth accumulated from its exclusive control of the Shimonoseki Strait was not so easily exhausted.

Changzhou purchased 4300 new Minié rifles and 3000 old smoothbore rifles in one go.

In addition, they purchased the British steamship Julian, which was originally named Sakurajima Maru according to the Satsuma naming convention, but was renamed "Otsushimaru" at Choshu's request.

Choshu paid Satsuma with military rations as payment for all of the above equipment.

In order to punish Choshu, the shogunate had long ago issued the strictest "blockade order," prohibiting all domains from having any dealings with or trading with Choshu.

For this reason, Satsuma and Choshu could not exchange goods in a normal manner.

Fortunately, at this time, Sakamoto Ryoma and his trading company, Kameyama-sha, came in very handy.

Several months ago, Ryoma Sakamoto founded Kameyama Trading Company, a trading company whose core business is foreign trade.

Initially, he founded the trading company without any particular intention; he simply wanted to do business with the West in order to learn more about Western civilization.

He never imagined that his small trading company would become an important bridge for the "Sachang Trade".

Thus, following his role as a "negotiator," Sakamoto Ryoma became a "trade intermediary" for the Satsuma and Choshu domains. Under the guise of "commercial activities," he mobilized all the laborers and ships of his own trading company to transport goods for the two domains.

Despite the fact that Satsuma and Choshu successfully established a relationship of mutual benefit under Sakamoto Ryoma's strong push, the rift between the two domains was not eliminated.

After acquiring the guns and warships, the Choshu Domain intended to part ways with the Satsuma Domain.

The Satsuma Domain also seems to have no intention of continuing its relations with the Choshu Domain.

Seeing that their promising situation was about to fall apart, Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro became anxious and once again went into a state of "running themselves ragged" trying to persuade the leaders of the two domains.

For now, we will leave the specific details aside.

In conclusion, after countless rounds of "oral gymnastics," Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro finally facilitated the second meeting between Satsuma and Choshu.

The meeting place this time was still in Xiaguan.

Ironically, after the time and place of the meeting were set, everyone had a vague premonition that this formal meeting would determine the success or failure of the "Sara-Chang Alliance"!

If it works, then it works.

If that doesn't work, then there's absolutely no chance!

……

……

At this moment, both sides are ready in the meeting room, and all members are present.

Sitting to Sakamoto Ryoma's right were the Satsuma samurai led by Saigo Kinosuke, while to his left were the Choshu samurai led by Katsura Kogoro.

Judging from the status and position of the attendees, both sides have shown great sincerity.

In Choshu, Katsura Kogoro once again led the team.

In addition to Saigo Kinosuke, Komatsu Tateto also arrived from Satsuma, making it a star-studded lineup with two of the "Satsuma Three Heroes" present.

As mediators, Ryoma Sakamoto and Shintaro Nakaoka naturally became the hosts of this meeting.

Unlike last time, there was no serious incident of a "sudden no-show". Both sides arrived at the meeting on time, and the start was smooth.

However, no sooner had Ryoma Sakamoto and Shintaro Nakaoka finished their brief opening remarks than a problem arose on set.

Katsura Kogoro: "..."

Saigo Kyunosuke: "..."

Neither of them spoke, and an eerie silence fell over the room…

Katsura Kogoro stared intently at Saigo Kichinosuke, who was directly opposite him, and the latter stared back straight at him.

Both Satsuma and Choshu remained in a stalemate in silence.

The reason for this situation is obvious at a glance—neither side is willing to back down first.

The Choshu people already harbored resentment towards Satsuma, and for them to speak first would be as if they were asking Satsuma for something, which was not in their dignity.

Satsuma, on the other hand, considered themselves superior to Choshu and believed that Choshu needed their help, so they were unwilling to be the first to speak.

Seeing this, Sakamoto Ryoma clicked his tongue, scratched his messy hair, and muttered helplessly:
"What kind of time is this to be arguing like this..."

Shintaro Nakaoka looked anxious, racking his brains to think of words to ease the tension.

Suddenly, the silence at the scene was broken.

However, the words that broke the silence were not gentle and kind, but rather a furious roar:
"Mr. Gui! Let's go back! This is utter nonsense!"

Upon hearing this, the temperature inside the room suddenly soared.

As if spurred on by this loud shout, the Choshu samurai launched into a series of impassioned speeches.

Someone standing behind Katsura Kogoro suddenly stood up and took over the conversation:
“That’s right! Mr. Katsura! Let’s go back to Hagi Castle (the domain of Choshu)! I can’t join forces with the Satsuma people!”

Another person stood up, glaring angrily at the Satsuma samurai opposite him:

"Damn it! Just being in the same room with Samoans makes me feel nauseous!"

These words were like stirring up a hornet's nest; in an instant, the Satsuma samurai could no longer remain calm.

"What are you barking about, you dogs? Don't you people from Changzhou have the blood of us Samoans on your hands?"

"What? You're not convinced? If you're not convinced, then let's have another fight!"

"Blame it on you Changzhou people for being so incompetent! Unable to win on the battlefield, all you can do is whine and complain like a bunch of whiny women!"

The argument escalated, becoming increasingly heated and violent... showing signs of a potential confrontation.

Shintaro Nakaoka was quite frightened and repeatedly tried to dissuade him:
"Calm down! Please calm down! With a formidable enemy at hand, how can we fight amongst ourselves? Hey! Ryoma! What are you still sitting there for? Come and help!"

Sakamoto Ryoma quickly got up and joined the ranks of those trying to mediate the fight, attempting to defuse the conflict.

"Hey, stop arguing! Quiet down! Just consider it giving me, Sakamoto Ryoma, face!"

It was thanks to Sakamoto Ryoma's strong assistance that Satsuma and Choshu were able to obtain the food and weapons they needed.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, both parties are happy to give him face.

But now, both sides' emotions have been stirred up.

The well-intentioned advice from Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro simply did not reach their ears.

Strangely enough, while everyone was arguing heatedly, the two highest leaders—Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke—both remained silent.

They didn't say a word, their faces expressionless, continuing to stare at each other as if the noise outside had nothing to do with them.

Then, as if pre-arranged, the two shouted simultaneously:

"Shut up, everyone!"

When the supreme leader speaks, the effect is completely different.

In the blink of an eye, silence returned to the scene.

Katsura Kogoro slowly stood up:

"Everyone is very agitated. It seems that this meeting cannot continue. Let's adjourn for now."

He had barely finished speaking when he received a nod of agreement from Saigo Kichinosuke:

"Feel the same."

And so, Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke left the meeting room without the slightest hesitation.

Seeing that the supreme leader had left his seat, the warriors on both sides followed closely behind, filing out in single file—before leaving, they did not forget to glare at each other angrily, their sharp eyes darting through the air.

Before long, only Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro remained in the room... They looked at each other and saw a strong sense of helplessness on each other's faces.

This important meeting, which concerns Japan's future, ended in recess after less than three minutes.

……

……

The rest area for Choshu samurai—

Sakamoto Ryoma sat cross-legged in front of Katsura Kogoro and solemnly inquired:

"Mr. Gui, what exactly are you doing? Why have you remained silent since the meeting started?"

Katsura Kogoro said calmly:
“Our Choshu was attacked by the shogunate and was called a bandit by the imperial court.”

“On the other hand, Satsuma openly associates with the imperial court, acts as an intermediary between the shogunate and feudal lords; Satsuma can do all of these things.”

“People from outside Choshu are not allowed to participate, yet they expect us to bow down and beg from Satsuma. Such behavior violates the code of the samurai and we cannot accept it.”

"Therefore, even if the entire Choshu region is burned to the ground and turned into a wasteland by the shogunate, it doesn't matter!"

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