I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1094 The Emperor and Crown Prince are Dead! An Impersonator of the Emperor! [5200]

An eerie atmosphere is spreading...

Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke stood on the east and west sides of the room, respectively, staring at each other expressionlessly.

The warriors behind them all wore stern faces, their cheeks filled with complex emotions, some with gloomy expressions and clenched teeth.

Even now, many people still feel deeply dissatisfied with the "alliance".

Can the hatred that has accumulated over time be resolved with just a few words?

However, their beloved supreme leader has made a firm decision to unite Satsuma and Choshu in order to fight against the shogunate.

Therefore, even if they have a hundred complaints, they really cannot say anything.

Amidst the solemnity, Sakamoto Ryoma clapped his hands twice forcefully, dispelling the heavy atmosphere with laughter.

"From now on, we are allies who share weal and woe! So stop putting on that icy facade!"

As he spoke, he spread his arms wide and grabbed Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke by the shoulders with one hand, like an eagle catching chicks, pulling them together and physically closing the distance between them until they were almost touching noses.

"Mr. Katsura, Mr. Saigo, please shake hands! This will serve as a symbol of reconciliation between the two domains!"

Katsura Kogoro looked puzzled:

"'shake hands'?"

Saigo Kinosuke lowered his head, looking at his palms with a puzzled expression:
What is a 'handshake'?

Sakamoto Ryoma chuckled:
"This is Western etiquette! Shaking hands firmly shows closeness and friendliness! I really like handshakes! Because it makes us seem intimate!"

After saying that, Sakamoto Ryoma directly provided guidance by grabbing the right wrists of Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke respectively, making the two large hands clasp together.

Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke, bewildered, could only follow Sakamoto Ryoma's instructions with blank expressions.

"Alright! Next up is the 'cheek kiss'!"

Katsura Kogoro's face changed color:

"Apply...apply?"

Although he didn't know what "cheek kiss" was, the name alone made him feel uneasy.

Saigo Kinosuke's expression also changed:
"No need for face masks! They're disgusting!"

Sakamoto Ryoma said with a serious expression:
"This is a formal Western etiquette! When Westerners greet each other, they will press their face against the other person's face!"

Katsura Kogoro: "Using cheek to cheek to greet someone... Westerners are truly shameless!"

Saigo Kichinosuke: "We are Japanese, and we do not need to follow Western etiquette."

Sakamoto Ryoma laughed heartily:

"Stop being so sentimental! This is a great reconciliation between Sa and Cho! It should be commemorated and celebrated in a special way!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately took action, placing his left and right hands on the backs of Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke respectively, and with a little force, made them "bump" into each other.

Thus, the two embraced, their heads close together, their cheeks almost touching.

Both Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke are tough guys with unwavering wills; they wouldn't even blink if someone held a knife to their necks.

At this moment, they were all stunned, their expressions stiff, their faces full of embarrassment, and they were extremely awkward.

They instinctively tried to separate, but Sakamoto Ryoma firmly held them down by the back, preventing them from escaping easily.

Sakamoto Ryoma was a rare swordsmanship genius who won the Edo swordsmanship tournament. In terms of arm strength alone, no one present could match him.

This comical scene enlivened the atmosphere in the room, and everyone present couldn't help but chuckle.

Sakamoto Ryoma smiled happily:
"That's right! That's exactly how allies should be!"

……

……

Under the auspices of Ryoma Sakamoto, the "alliance ceremony" concluded in a joyful atmosphere.

After asking everyone to wait a moment, Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke moved to a secluded corner of the corridor and began a private meeting.

"Mr. Saigo, I'll be relying on you for guidance from now on."

Upon hearing this, Saigo Kichinosuke let out two strange laughs.

"Mr. Saigo, what's wrong? Why are you laughing?"

Saigo Kinosuke said quietly:

“We just did such intimate things, and now hearing you say this to me... it feels like we’re married.”

Katsura Kogoro paused for a moment, then snapped at him irritably:

"Mr. Saigo, Ryoma is one thing, but how can you make such a subtle joke?"

Saigo Kinosuke laughed a few times:
"Okay, enough joking, let's talk about something serious."

"Perhaps it was fate. At this critical juncture where every move affects the whole situation, the Emishi in the north rebelled, and Tachibana Seito had no choice but to lead his troops north to quell the rebellion."

"We must seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop our strength and accumulate power."

Katsura Kogoro nodded slightly in agreement:
“Mr. Saigo, we should next try to win over the Tosa Domain and the Hizen Domain.”

"Especially the latter, if Hizen were to help them, it would be like gaining a million soldiers."

Kichinosuke Saigo added:

“And the 'Northern Shogunate'.”

"Although the 'Northern Shogunate' was weak, it still had the name 'Shogunate' no matter what."

"If used properly, it has great potential!"

"Once we win over the 'Northern Shogunate,' we'll simultaneously possess both the Emperor and the Shogun! The great cause is in our hands!"

Katsura Kogoro nodded again:
"That's right, we should try to win over everyone we can."

After Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu fled to the Fukui Domain, the Edo Shogunate fell into division.

Since they had already broken off all pretense of civility, Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu and his cronies were too lazy to hide anything anymore. They simply decided to go all out and establish a separate shogunate.

Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu changed his name to Tokugawa Yoshinobu and called himself the 15th Shogun.

From any perspective, Tokugawa Yoshinobu's usurpation was illegitimate.

Based on this, the "Southern Shogunate" led by Tachibana Seito was so powerful, and the Mito Domain, which has been swept into the dustbin of history, serves as a bloody warning.

Therefore, to this day, the vast majority of feudal states regard the "Southern Shogunate" as the legitimate dynasty and denounce the "Northern Shogunate" as a "false dynasty".

But in the end, the concept of "orthodoxy" is nothing more than a political game.

To decide which shogunate is the legitimate one is simply a matter of saying one word!
After winning over Tokugawa Yoshinobu, Satsuma and Choshu could then recognize him as the legitimate ruler and launch an attack on Tachibana Aoto under the pretext of "fighting against treacherous officials and supporting the shogunate"!

There's never too much of a "pretext for sending troops," and any more righteous cause to criticize Tachibana Seito would be even better.

At this moment, Saigo Kinosuke smiled, half excited and half admiring, and exclaimed:
"I have to say, that Iwakura Tomomi is really capable."

"They snatched the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and two sacred treasures (the Yasakani no Magatama and the Yata no Kagami) from Kyoto, pulling them out of the tiger's mouth."

"Thanks to him, the imperial court is now under our control!"

After Iwakura Tomomi launched the unprecedented "Keio Incident," he fled to Choshu—a fact that was already common knowledge.

Upon hearing this, a strange light flashed in Katsura Kogoro's eyes.

However, he quickly suppressed this strange feeling and pretended to be calm.

……

……

With the alliance now formed, both sides can finally go their separate ways.

On the morning of the day after the alliance was signed, Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kichinosuke bid each other farewell.

Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro will travel to Nagasaki to prepare for their upcoming trip—they will continue to act as lobbyists, persuading Tosa and Hizen to further expand their anti-shogunate forces.

After leaving Xiaguan, Katsura Kogoro spurred his horse on at full speed, wishing he could break the whip in his hand, completely ignoring the whimpers of his horse.

The reason he was in such a hurry to return to Hagi Castle was simply because he was extremely worried about the safety of the Emperor and the Crown Prince!

Last night, he dared not tell Saigo Kichinosuke the truth.

In fact, as early as half a month ago, the Emperor and the Crown Prince both fell seriously ill and were bedridden!
Like other nobles of the time, the Emperor and the Crown Prince suffered from poor health.

Their extremely unhealthy eating habits, coupled with a severe lack of exercise, mean that their bodies are far from healthy.

After the Emperor and the Crown Prince arrived in Choshu, Katsura Kogoro specially organized a professional "care team" to take care of them carefully. They would give them nourishing food when they were tired, add clothes when it was cold, and even have someone test their food for poison every day.

Such meticulous care is truly commendable.

However, the situation that Katsura Kogoro least wanted to see still happened... "Cultural incompatibility" was like a powerful cannonball, instantly knocking down the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

The climate of Choshu is very different from that of Kyoto, so it is not surprising that the Emperor and the Crown Prince would suffer from acclimatization problems.

Compared to the discomfort of not being able to adapt to the new environment, the excessive anxiety and worry took a much worse to their bodies.

The Emperor was unwilling to oppose the Shogunate, and even less willing to come to Choshu.

The actions of the people of Choshu in the past—disrupting the imperial court and falsely conveying imperial edicts—left a great psychological shadow on the Emperor.

He now harbors deep distrust of the people of Changzhou and is extremely unwilling to associate with them.

In his resistance, he adopted a strategy of "nonviolent non-cooperation," refusing to eat or sleep properly and finding various ways to oppose Choshu. Even when he was ill, he refused to take his medication, clearly showing signs of self-destruction.

As for the Crown Prince, he is still young, only 13 years old this year. He was suddenly kidnapped to the distant Changzhou, which caused great harm to his young mind.

If the news that "both the Emperor and the Crown Prince have fallen ill" were to get out, it could cause a stir within the pro-imperial faction.

Therefore, Katsura Kogoro strictly controlled the news, never letting the outside world know the truth about the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

At the same time, he invited renowned doctors from all walks of life and spared no effort in treating the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

With the situation having developed to this point, he could no longer care about the Emperor's resistance.

Even if it means using brutal methods, we must force the medicine into his mouth!

To restore the Emperor and the Crown Prince to their health, Katsura Kogoro spared no expense, arranging expensive tonics, rare medicinal herbs, and so on, truly disregarding costs.

However... even after doing all this, the Emperor and the Crown Prince's health did not improve, and their condition worsened day by day.

Before Katsura Kogoro could rush to Shimonoseki to meet with Saigo Kinosuke, the Emperor and the Crown Prince were too weak to get up, which made him very anxious.

He had done everything he could... Katsura Kogoro was at his wit's end.

All he has left to do is clasp his hands together and pray to God.

Left with no other choice, he, who had never believed in gods or Buddhas, had to invite a group of highly accomplished old monks to chant sutras and incantations for the Emperor and the Crown Prince every day, praying for their health and well-being.

……

……

2 days later——

Choshu Domain, Hagi Castle——

The journey, which was originally scheduled for three days, was compressed into two days by Katsura Kogoro.

Upon arriving at the gates of Hagi Castle, he dismounted before his horse had come to a complete stop and strode quickly into the depths of the castle—the residence of the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

"Mr. Gui! Greetings!"

"Mr. Gui! Welcome back!"

"Mr. Katsura! This is the latest news about Tachibana Seiden. Please take a look!"

Along the way, he encountered many subordinates, but Katsura Kogoro didn't bother to greet them and simply dismissed them all, leaving military and political affairs to be dealt with later.

Just as he was about to arrive at the residence of the Emperor and the Crown Prince, he suddenly saw a familiar figure—Iwakura Tomomi walked towards him expressionlessly.

"...Mr. Gui, you're back."

Katsura Kogoro took two quick steps and asked in a fast voice:
"Mr. Iwakura, how are His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince?"

During his time away from Hagi Castle, Katsura Kogoro entrusted the important task of caring for the Emperor and the Crown Prince to Iwakura Tomomi.

"..."

Iwakura Tomomi adopted an enigmatic silence.

After a moment, he turned around and said softly:

"...Mr. Gui, may I speak to you in private?"

In an instant, Katsura Kogoro was stunned, and an extremely strong sense of foreboding welled up in his heart.

He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and followed.

Before long, Iwakura Tomomi led Katsura Kogoro into an empty room.

Iwakura Tomomi silently closed the door, then turned and said without looking back, her expression devoid of joy or sorrow:

"His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince have both died of illness."

"……what?"

Iwakura Tomomi's voice was very soft, but because the room was very quiet, every word he spoke was clearly heard by Katsura Kogoro.

Although he heard it clearly, the overwhelming shock left him speechless, and he couldn't help but ask a question.

Iwakura Tomomi's indifferent expression remained unchanged as he repeated, word by word:
"His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince had been ill for a long time and were too weak to recover. Unfortunately, they passed away the night before last."

"Mr. Iwakura, if this is a joke, please correct me as soon as possible..."

"This is no joke. His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince are indeed no longer alive. Would you like me to take you to see their remains?"

Boom!
With a loud thud, Katsura Kogoro lunged at Iwakura Tomomi, grabbed his collar, and pulled him up.

But Katsura Kogoro's eyes were wide open in anger, with countless red blood vessels gushing from the whites of his eyes, making him look just like a raging lion.

Iwakura Tomomi seemed to have anticipated Katsura Kogoro's attack. He neither struggled nor resisted, but calmly stared at his opponent, appearing indifferent and ready to accept whatever he wanted.

Katsura Kogoro opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to scold Iwakura Tomomi.

But just as he was about to speak, he seemed to realize something and paused.

Yes, what right did he have to grab Iwakura Tomomi by the collar?

He had long anticipated the deaths of the Emperor and the Crown Prince, hadn't he?

When he left Hagi Castle to meet Saigo Kinosuke, the Emperor and the Crown Prince were on their deathbeds, beyond medical help, and could only place their hopes on Buddhism, incantations, and other mystical practices.

Under such circumstances, their sudden passing was only to be expected.

After regaining his composure, Katsura Kogoro dejectedly released Iwakura Tomomi's collar, staggered back several steps, and crashed heavily into the wall behind him.

"It's over...it's all over..."

He muttered as he covered his pale face.

He and Saigo Kichinosuke finally managed to forge the "Satsuma-Choshu Alliance".

Just as they were preparing to make their mark, they suddenly received this devastating news...

Controlling the imperial court... this was a "trump card" that their powerful forces had worked so hard to obtain.

Before they could even use this trump card, the Emperor and the Crown Prince both passed away... This "trump card" was now useless!
The deeper he thought about it, the paler Katsura Kogoro's face became, and his spine bent over and over.

Iwakura Tomomi stared intently at the dejected Katsura Kogoro, and suddenly said in a slow voice:
“Mr. Katsura, now is not the time to be pessimistic. Although His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince have passed away, we still have ways to make amends.”

Katsura Kogoro paused for a moment, then raised his puzzled gaze.

"Remedy? How can this be remedied? Can you conjure up a prince?"

The current emperor has four princes, three of whom died young, leaving only the crown prince alive.

Now that the crown prince has passed away, the emperor's bloodline has been cut off. Where are they going to find a new prince?
Katsura Kogoro's rhetorical question was clearly sarcastic, and I felt that Iwakura Tomomi was talking nonsense.

Unexpectedly, Iwakura Tomomi nodded solemnly and forcefully:

"That's right, it's about 'conjuring' a prince."

The unexpected reply left Katsura Kogoro stunned once again.

"...Huh? Mr. Iwakura, what are you talking about?"

"Mr. Gui, please wait a moment, I'll be right back."

Having said that, without waiting for Katsura Kogoro's response, Iwakura Tomomi turned and left the room, his footsteps fading into the distance.

Katsura Kogoro was confused and could only stay where he was and wait.

About 20 minutes later, Iwakura Tomomi returned through the door—and there was a boy standing next to him.

The boy was about 15 years old, not very tall, and rather thin, with a nervous and uneasy expression on his face.

Who is he? Why did Mr. Iwakura bring him here?
Just as Katsura Kogoro was feeling puzzled, he suddenly realized that the boy looked remarkably like the prince.

In that instant, Katsura Kogoro understood something.

Iwakura Tomomi patted the boy on the shoulder, confirming Katsura Kogoro's guess with firm words:
"Mr. Katsura, this is Ōmuro Toranosuke of the Kiheitai. From now on, he will be the new Emperor."

"……Aha?"

Katsura Kogoro cast an incredulous look at Iwakura Tomomi.

"Mr. Iwakura, do you... do you know what you're saying?"

Iwakura, head held high, spoke with righteous indignation:
"Of course I know. Mr. Gui, this is the only remedy. It's fate that I found this boy who looks so much like the Crown Prince just when I was worried."

Katsura Kogoro glanced at Iwakura Tomomi, then at the boy... namely, Ōmuro Toranosuke.

He scratched his head, touched his face; clicked his tongue, fidgeted with the hem of his clothes… After standing there bewildered for a while, Katsura Kogoro took a deep breath and then demanded furiously:

"Mr. Iwakura, have you gone mad? You actually want to use an ordinary person to impersonate the Emperor?"

Iwakura Tomomi said calmly:
"So what? As long as we can overthrow the shogunate, what do these tricks matter?"

Katsura Kogoro felt all the blood rushing to his head.

He knew Iwakura Tomomi's character well; the nickname "Gecko" was well-deserved.

He would stop at nothing to achieve his goal, just like Jia Xu from the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, who would never be held back by emotions or principles.

Although he knew the other party was ruthless, he never expected them to be so audacious! To actually switch the prince with a cat!

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PS: The real Emperor Meiji died long ago. The Emperor Meiji that everyone knows was actually a Choshu samurai named "Ōmuro Toranosuke" in disguise. This is not something I made up; it is a widely circulated rumor.