I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1093 The [Sachang Alliance] is Established in Grand Style! [6100]

This statement immediately resonated widely.

Inside, the Choshu samurai were seen venting their emotions one after another:
"That's right! We won't stand for Samo's wrath!"

"You want us to bow down to those traitors? Absolutely not!"

"Sakamoto-kun, you saw it too, didn't you? How arrogant those Satsuma people were!"

Sakamoto Ryoma's head was throbbing from the noise, and he couldn't help but force a bitter expression.

Before Katsura Kogoro could finish speaking, he angrily added:
"In short, the one who has to make concessions first must be Samo! Otherwise, there's no point in continuing this meeting!"

Sakamoto Ryoma took a deep breath and adopted a solemn tone:

“Mr. Gui, if you say such things, Changzhou will perish.”

In the blink of an eye... the instant Sakamoto Ryoma finished speaking, all the Choshu samurai present turned their heads and cast sharp, fierce, and ruthless glances at him.

Someone said sternly:
"Hey, Sakamoto-kun, you can eat whatever you want, but don't say whatever you want!"

Another person interrupted:
"Watch your words! Don't speak recklessly! Changzhou will not perish!"

Another person said:

"Sakamoto-kun, we respect you as a true man! We are also very grateful to you for helping us transport weapons and relieving our urgent crisis, but don't take this for granted! There are some things you can't say carelessly!"

Seeing that he had angered everyone, Shintaro Nakaoka, who was sitting next to Ryoma Sakamoto, quickly tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to apologize.

However, instead of apologizing, Sakamoto Ryoma crossed his arms, straightened his back, and shouted arrogantly:

"It seems I overestimated Changzhou! You are still as arrogant and blind as before, unable to see the changing situation!"

This sentence... even using the idiom "adding fuel to the fire" to describe it seems insufficient and inappropriate.

This isn't just dripping oil into the fire; it's pouring a whole bucket of gasoline directly into the fire!

Sure enough, the moment Sakamoto Ryoma finished speaking, roars erupted from the crowd.

"What did you say?!"

"Sakamoto Ryoma! You've gone too far!"

"Don't think that just because you're Mr. Gui's friend we won't dare to do anything to you!"

Those who stood up in anger, those who glared angrily... the anger of the crowd was rising rapidly, and some even had their swords drawn.

Seeing this, Nakaoka Shintaro secretly groaned and got up to persuade him.

"Please calm down! Ryoma is outspoken; he absolutely did not mean to mock Choshu..."

Before Shintaro Nakaoka could finish speaking, Ryoma Sakamoto suddenly interrupted him:
"No, Shintaro, I was indeed mocking Choshu!"

"I thought that after suffering so much, the talents of Changzhou would have learned their lesson and would no longer be as arrogant as before."

"I never expected you'd still be going around in circles!"

"Where do you get the audacity to say 'Changzhou will not perish'?"

"I ask you, do you have an elite force that can defeat the Shinsengumi?"

"I ask you, do you have any swordsmen who can rival 'Nioh' and 'Tenken'?"

"I ask you, do you have enough territory to drag down the Shogunate army?"

"I ask you, do you have equipment advanced enough to suppress the Mongol army?"

"I ask you, when have you ever won a single victory against the formidable might of the Mongol army?!"

At the end, Sakamoto Ryoma suddenly raised his voice, exuding a powerful aura.

His five consecutive questions were so powerful that they stunned everyone present.

For a moment, Sakamoto Ryoma became the sole center and focus of the room.

Before anyone could respond, he continued speaking:
"Too ashamed to answer, right?"

"Choshu today is no match for the shogunate at all!"

"Aren't those repeated defeats and the crushing defeats by Tachibana Seiden enough to wake you up?"

"The previous 'Chōshū Campaign' was purely a matter of luck. The instability in the rear of the shogunate forced Tachibana Seito to personally lead the Shinsengumi back to reinforce the area, which gave Chōshū a precious chance to catch its breath."

"But what about next time? And the time after that? Will you be so lucky again?"

"I understand that you cannot bear to face the enormous gap between Choshu and the Shogunate!"

"But no matter how much you deceive yourself, you should never let your delusions override reality!"

What's the point of just shouting "Changzhou will not perish" here?

"Without Satsuma's assistance, Choshu, fighting alone, would surely perish—that's the reality!"

"If you think what I said is wrong, then come and cut off my head!"

"Take this as a lesson for me, for naively believing that the Choshu samurai could succeed!"

"You may not be able to take Tachibana Aoto's head, but taking the head of a mere ronin like me should be easy, right?"

After saying that, Sakamoto Ryoma lowered his head slightly, brushed aside his messy hair, and exposed the back of his neck so that the Choshu samurai could have a more convenient angle for slashing.

The Choshu samurai present were mostly standing behind Sakamoto Ryoma.

They only needed to step forward and draw their swords to easily cut off Sakamoto Ryoma's head.

Shintaro Nakaoka, who was watching all this, swallowed hard.

He was terrified that someone in a fit of rage might actually chop off Sakamoto Ryoma's head.

In fact, he had already keenly noticed that several people were already itching to make a move.

He silently gathered his strength, his right hand stealthily reaching for the wakizashi at his left waist, preparing to rush forward to rescue Sakamoto Ryoma.

Sakamoto Ryoma didn't value his own life, but he couldn't bear to watch his friend die violently in front of him.

Fortunately, the sound of drawing a sword did not occur.

Those radical, delusional fanatics who were not thinking straight mostly followed Hisaka Genzui to their deaths.

Most of the Choshu talents who are still alive and highly valued by Katsura Kogoro are rational and steady individuals.

Despite their grief and indignation, they had to admit that Sakamoto Ryoma was right; every word he said made sense.

Their anger was nothing more than a powerless rage born of resentment towards reality.

If they were to kill Sakamoto Ryoma out of anger and embarrassment, they would become ungrateful buffoons.

Frustration replaced anger, and dejection replaced regret... The tense atmosphere that had permeated the room gradually dissipated.

Speechless after being refuted by Sakamoto Ryoma, the Choshu samurai returned to their seats one after another, staring solemnly at the tatami mat in front of them, remaining silent for a long time.

Sakamoto Ryoma raised his gaze and looked directly at Katsura Kogoro in front of him again:

"Mr. Katsura, please think it over. Without Satsuma's assistance, Choshu would truly perish."

Sakamoto Ryoma's bold words just now seemed to have completely failed to impress Katsura Kogoro.

Katsura Kogoro snorted coldly:
"I think this works too! Let the shogunate destroy Choshu!"

“Satsuma’s Saigo Kichinosuke, Komatsu Tateto, and Okubo Ichizo were all outstanding individuals who stood out from the crowd.”

"Once Choshu is destroyed, they will surely be able to help Tachibana Seiden create a better new era."

Sakamoto Ryoma, exasperated, slapped his thigh, half in helplessness and half indignation:
"Mr. Gui, now that things have come to this, let's not say such hurtful things!"

At this moment, Shintaro Nakaoka, who had barely spoken since earlier, suddenly interjected:

“Mr. Gui, I am mainly responsible for persuading the Satsuma side.”

"Therefore, I know Saigo Kichinosuke's character very well."

"I swear on my life, Saigo Kichinosuke wants to forge the 'Satsuma-Choshu Alliance' more than anyone else!"

"He harbors great ambitions and is determined to contend with 'King Ren' for the world. How could he possibly be willing to serve 'King Ren'?"

"He's only putting on airs because he's concerned about saving face and because he wants to test Changzhou's bottom line."

"As long as both sides calm down, they will definitely be able to reach a consensus!"

Shintaro Nakaoka paused here, then offered his suggestion:

"How about this, you and Saigo Kinosuke should stop seeing each other. You two should stay in the room, and Ryoma and I will act as your 'megaphones'!"

"Tell us your conditions, and we will convey them to you."

"In return, we will relay Samo's terms to you."

"In this way, conflicts between the two sides will be less likely to arise, and communication will become much smoother!"

“In the past few months, Ryoma and I have traveled back and forth between Hagi Castle and Kagoshima Castle (the domain headquarters of the Satsuma Domain) countless times, wearing out countless pairs of straw sandals, but we don’t care about the short distance we have to walk through the corridors!”

Sakamoto Ryoma was overjoyed:

"Shintaro, your method is excellent! Mr. Katsura, let's do it this way!"

Katsura Kogoro pursed his lips in thought, his brows furrowed slightly.

Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro waited anxiously.

About three minutes later, Katsura Kogoro silently let out a long breath and nodded slightly:
"...Okay then, let's do it this way."

"I don't want this meeting to turn into a long and drawn-out mess."

"Therefore, I will directly state our bottom line for Changzhou."

“If Satsuma agrees, then from tonight onwards, Choshu and Satsuma will be allies who share both good and bad fortune.”

“If Samo doesn’t agree, then there’s no point in negotiating. I’ll head back immediately and never see the Samoans again.”

As he spoke, Katsura Kogoro reached into his robes and pulled out a piece of paper.

“Tell Saigo Kichinosuke that Satsuma must fulfill all five conditions written on this paper, and not violate a single one.”

Katsura Kogoro handed the paper in his palm to Sakamoto Ryoma.

Sakamoto Ryoma reached out and took the paper, unfolding it. Nakaoka Shintaro leaned closer, and the two carefully read the contents of the paper.

1. We vow to defend the imperial court to the death.

2. It acknowledges that Changju was an official military force and refutes the fallacy that "Changju was an enemy of the court".

3. If the shogunate and the domains of Hatatsu, Aizu, and Kuwana insist on invading Choshu, violating justice, and repeated appeals are useless, then we have no choice but to fight to the death.

4. In the event of war, Satsuma must lead its troops to assist in the battle.

5. Even if the battle situation is unfavorable, Choshu and Satsuma must not turn their backs on each other and must fight with all their might until the last moment.

After quickly reading it, Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro exchanged a glance.

Overall, the five treaties proposed by Choshu are not excessive and are considered normal cooperative treaties.

Of course, whether or not to accept these five treaties is not up to them; it is up to Saigo Kichinosuke to make the final decision.

"I understand! Let's go find Saigo-kun right now!"

Sakamoto Ryoma carefully folded the paper in his palm, got up and left, followed closely by Nakaoka Shintaro.

The two rushed out of the room, their footsteps fading into the distance.

……

……

The Satsuma samurai's rest area was next door, just a few steps away for Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro. As soon as they pushed open the door, Sakamoto Ryoma heard Saigo Kinosuke's teasing:
"Sakamoto-kun, Nakaoka-kun, I just heard a lot of noise. What's wrong? Did you have a bad talk with Mr. Katsura?"

In the large room, the Satsuma samurai sat on both sides, while Saigo Kinosuke and Komatsu Tateki sat side by side on the main seat.

Sakamoto Ryoma smiled calmly:
"It's no big deal, I'm used to it."

As he spoke, he moved over to Saigo Kinosuke and sat down cross-legged.

"Saigo-kun, time is of the essence, so I'll keep it brief."

"Katsura Kogoro has put forward five conditions. If Satsuma agrees to these five conditions, they will be willing to form an alliance with you."

As he spoke, Sakamoto Ryoma took out the paper and presented it to Saigo Kinosuke with both hands.

Saigo Kinosuke raised an eyebrow, reached out and picked it up, unfolded it, and began to read it quickly, ten lines at a time.

After a short while, he chuckled lightly twice, his face showing a nonchalant and flippant expression:

"Ryoma, Shintaro, have you both seriously read these five treaties?"

Upon hearing this, Shintaro Nakaoka's heart skipped a beat, and he had a vague premonition of something ominous.

He tried to remain calm while speaking cautiously:

"Of course I've read them, and I've memorized all five treaties!"

Saigo Kinosuke shifted to a more relaxed sitting position, resting his left elbow on his thigh, supporting his chin with his left palm, and shaking the papers in his right hand with a "clattering" sound.

"This is written in great detail about how Satsuma, as an ally, should act when Choshu changes."

"However, if Choshu suffers a major defeat, what should Satsuma do? This document makes no mention of it."

“If we are defeated and the shogunate wins, Satsuma, as an ally of Choshu, will be implicated—this is something I do not want to see.”

Upon hearing this, Shintaro Nakaoka said urgently.

"With Satsuma's help, Choshu will not be defeated!"

Saigo Kinosuke smiled and shook his head:
"Shintaro, I'm glad you value Satsuma so much, but you overestimate Satsuma's strength."

"Indeed, the shogunate is still the same corrupt and decadent shogunate."

"But the current shogunate is supported by a pillar called 'Niou'."

"This main pillar is so huge and so sturdy that it inspires awe."

“As long as Tachibana Seito remains the ‘Lord of the Ninja’ of the Shogunate, even if I unite the western provinces to attack him with all my might, I am not certain of victory.”

“These five treaties only benefit Choshu, with Choshu reaping all the advantages while Satsuma bears all the hard work.”

“Such a treaty is far too unfair to us, and I would never agree to it.”

With that, Saigo Kinosuke gently tossed his hand, letting the paper in his palm float back to Sakamoto Ryoma's knees.

Shintaro Ooka gritted his teeth, his expression humble and his tone earnest as he quickly said:
"Mr. Saigo, if you have any objections to the five treaties proposed by Mr. Katsura, you can negotiate them slowly!"

While he was trying to persuade Saigo Kichinosuke, he was racking his brains for a solution.

However, at that moment, Sakamoto Ryoma, who hadn't spoken a word since the beginning, suddenly raised his head and glared impatiently at Saigo Kinosuke opposite him:

"It's so noisy and incessant!"

"You wouldn't happen to be Saigo Kinosuke's body double, would you?"

"The Saigo Kichinosuke I know wouldn't be so long-winded!"

"Are you willing to form an alliance with Changzhou or not? Just say it straight! Don't waste everyone's time!"

Instantly, the room fell silent...

The next instant, beams of angry gazes focused on Sakamoto Ryoma.

Kichinosuke Saigo's prestige in Satsuma was almost comparable to that of Seito in the Shinsengumi.

A considerable number of Satsuma samurai—especially those from the lower and middle classes—regarded Saigo Kichinosuke as a god.

It's no exaggeration to say that nowadays, the people of Satsuma only know Saigo-dono, not Satsuma-go!
To insult Saigo Kichinosuke in front of a group of Satsuma samurai... Such an act is tantamount to suicide.

Shintaro Ooka stared wide-eyed at Ryoma Sakamoto in disbelief.

His expression seemed to say: "Brother, are you kidding me? You were just acting crazy with the people from Changzhou, and now you're doing it again? Don't you value your own life?"

Ignoring Shintaro Ooka's rebuke and the Satsuma samurai's anger, Ryoma Sakamoto spoke in a clear, deliberate voice:
"By forming an alliance with Choshu, we can gain the strength to compete with Tachibana Seito—isn't that enough of a benefit?"

Upon hearing this, a strange light appeared in Saigo Kinosuke's eyes.

Sakamoto Ryoma continued speaking:

"The Saigo Kichinosuke I know is a man like a tiger!"

"He was ambitious and full of passion! He couldn't stand what Tachibana Seiden was doing, and he was even less willing to be subordinate to Tachibana Seiden."

“Mr. Saigo, if you dare not compete with Tachibana Seito, then please just say so!”

"If you are afraid of Tachibana Seiden, you may simply bow down and submit to him! I will not stop you!"

"But if you want to defeat Tachibana Seiden and become the number one in this era, you can only join forces with Choshu—Saigo-kun, you should know this very well!"

"So, Saigo-kun, stop procrastinating! Seize the opportunity before you!"

"The longer the Satsuma-Chōchō reconciliation takes, the greater the chances of the shogunate winning!"

"This is your only chance—your last chance to compete against Tachibana Aoto!"

"If you think what I just said was all nonsense, then come and chop off my head!"

After speaking, Sakamoto Ryoma lowered his head as before, brushed aside his messy hair, and revealed the back of his neck.

The sudden outrageous remarks and the unexpected "desire to die" left everyone present bewildered.

The Satsuma samurai looked at each other, unsure whether to refute Sakamoto Ryoma or, as he "demanded," draw their swords and behead him.

In the end, they could only look to Saigo Kinosuke and leave the decision to the supreme leader.

Saigo Kinosuke gazed intently at Sakamoto Ryoma.

After a moment, he said quietly:

"...Ryoma, your provocation tactic is too simplistic."

Sakamoto Ryoma said expressionlessly:
"No, I didn't use any reverse psychology. What I said above is all from the bottom of my heart."

"I really can't stand your attitude of deliberately putting on airs when you clearly want to join forces with Changzhou but are worried about all sorts of things."

"Changju needs your help, and you also need Changju's strength."

"Saigo-kun, stop with all that complicated stuff."

"Katsura Kogoro is willing to compromise, but please show some goodwill as well!"

Sakamoto Ryoma stared directly at Saigo Kichinosuke without flinching, his eyes gleaming.

The room was once again enveloped in tranquility.

Time slipped away, bit by bit...

The atmosphere was so heavy that everyone's sense of time became strange.

It felt like a long time had passed, but in reality only one minute had gone by.

"It's really not a good feeling to have my inner thoughts exposed by your blunt words."

Saigo Kinosuke said this half-jokingly, then took a deep breath.

"To become the first person of this era...that's a really good saying."

"Fine, I'm tired of this endless testing anyway."

"It's not impossible for me to agree to the five conditions proposed by Katsura Kogoro."

Upon hearing this, both Sakamoto Ryoma and Ooka Shintaro were stunned by their surprise.

However, before they could even show their delight, Saigo Kinosuke abruptly changed the subject:
“But… we Satsuma want a ‘greater good’.”

Sakamoto Ryoma paused, looking puzzled:

"'Righteousness'?"

Saigo Kinosuke said calmly:

"A just cause is the only rule of war."

"I need a righteous cause that can get Satsuma and Choshu to join forces when the shogunate shows its claws."

Sakamoto Ryoma scratched his head:
“In the name of ‘righteousness’ in resisting the shogunate… In that case, why don’t we add another treaty to this document?”

Saigo Kinosuke showed a look of great interest:

"Oh? Another treaty?"

Sakamoto Ryoma nodded vigorously:

"Article 6: The two domains shall unite to be loyal to the Emperor and do their utmost for the future of Japan."

"In that case, Satsuma's participation in the war is not for the Shogun, but for the Emperor and for the future of Japan."

"In this way, no matter what happens to Choshu in the future, Satsuma will have a solid 'righteous cause' to stand on."

After a moment's thought, Saigo Kinosuke nodded slightly.
"I see... That's a good suggestion. Alright, let's add this treaty then."

At this point, Saigo Kinosuke blinked, as if he had just thought of something, and cast a meaningful glance at Sakamoto Ryoma:

"Ryoma, you are indeed a very interesting person."

Sakamoto Ryoma's face showed surprise:
"Interesting? What makes you say that?"

Saigo Kinosuke slowly said:

"I have met countless people, including many outstanding talents."

“Whenever they discuss world affairs, they always talk about ‘Satsuma’ or ‘Chōshū’, only considering their own domains.”

“But you are different. You always talk about ‘Japan’ and you consider things entirely from ‘Japan’s’ perspective.”

"People like you are truly rare and quite interesting."

Although the word "Japan" had appeared in ancient books, due to the long period of division, the general public only had the shogunate, the imperial court, and the various domains in their eyes, not "Japan".

Sakamoto Ryoma listened and smiled calmly:
"I think I've heard similar comments before."

"To be honest, I have no lofty ambitions."

"I simply hope that everyone in the world can live a happy life."

……

……

Meeting Room

"Mr. Katsura! Don't just stand there! Mr. Saigo too! Come over here!"

The group returned to the conference room.

Sakamoto Ryoma stood in the center of the room, gesturing for the leaders of both sides to come forward.

Katsura Kogoro stepped forward with a complicated expression... and Saigo Kichinosuke did the same.

After incorporating Sakamoto Ryoma's suggestions and going through several rounds of "relay communication," the two sides finally reached a consensus—Saigo Kichinosuke agreed to the five treaties proposed by Katsura Kogoro, and the two sides fought together for the Emperor! For the future of Japan!
Finally... the "Sara-Changchun Alliance" is no longer a pipe dream! It has become a reality!

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