I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1101 The Law Suppression Party Strikes! "Compared to Niou, Kondo Isami is far inferior!" [5300]

Satsuma Domain, Kagoshima Castle (Satsuma Domain Office), a certain room—

Saigo Kinosuke and Komatsu Tateto sat on opposite sides of the Go board, quietly playing their game.

The clicking sounds of pieces being placed one after another became the only noise on the scene.

The former was calm, his face showing neither joy nor sorrow; while the latter had obvious restlessness between his brows, looking uneasy.

Suddenly, Saigo Kinosuke reached out and closed the Go box beside his knee.

"I'm not playing anymore. Komatsu-kun, your mind is already wandering to the distant capital region. I don't want to play chess with a mindless shell."

Komatsu paused for a moment, then looked at the white stone he was pinching between his fingers with a bitter expression.

"I'm sorry, Saigo-kun, I spoiled your fun."

Saigo Kinosuke shook his head:
"No need to apologize, I understand how you feel. The situation in Gyeonggi has completely exceeded our expectations, so it's no wonder you're so distraught."

After saying this, Saigo Kinosuke slowly stood up, put his hands behind his back, walked to the window, and solemnly gazed at the distant eastern horizon.

Komatsu, carrying his sword, stepped forward and moved to Saigo Kinosuke's side, where the two stood side by side.

“‘King Ren’ is really ruthless… I originally thought he would just engage in verbal battles at most, adding the crime of ‘persecuting the late emperor’ to Changzhou’s name.”

"I never expected... that he would not only smear Changzhou, but also install a new emperor...!"

Komatsu clicked his tongue, his tone a mixture of admiration and bewilderment, and continued the conversation:
"If he is defeated in the future, he will be branded with the infamy of 'establishing a false emperor and disrupting the court,' and will never be able to recover!"

"If it were me, I wouldn't dare to take such a radical step!"

When the news of "Kong's ascension to the throne" reached Satsuma, the entire region was in an uproar.

Even the resolute Saigo Kinosuke, Komatsu Tateto, and others were so shocked by the news that they were unable to recover for a long time.

Since Kazuhime married into the Kanto region, her presence has become virtually nonexistent, to the point that everyone has completely forgotten that Aoto was accompanied by a member of the royal family with extremely pure blood.

In fact, even if they could remember the Prince of Kazuya, they might not have imagined that Aoto would come up with the ingenious strategy of "using the Emperor to control the Emperor".

Just as Komatsu said, they never expected Qing Deng to be so ruthless! He left them no way out!

As soon as Komatsu finished speaking, Saigo Kinosuke smiled and chimed in:

"If that's the case, then as long as we win, that's all that matters."

"If Ju Qingdeng loses, he will be an unpardonable traitor. Conversely, if we lose, we will be the ones who usurp the throne and wreak havoc on the court."

"Therefore, the current situation is becoming increasingly clear—whoever has the last laugh is the rightful heir!"

At this point, Kinosuke Saigo's lips curled into a slight smile.

"Heh, this war is getting more and more interesting."

Upon hearing this, Komatsu, carrying a knife, stiffened and rebuked him irritably:
“It’s not funny at all! I just want peace and quiet and don’t want any more trouble! Sigh… Even though we’ve been on high alert, ‘Niou’ still manages to give us a ‘surprise’ from time to time… Being his opponent is really tough.”

As Komatsu spoke, he raised his hand to rub his temples and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Saigo Kichinosuke smiled without saying a word.

At this moment, as if remembering something, he turned to Komatsu and asked:

"Bring your sword, any news from Changzhou lately?"

Komatsu answered without hesitation:

"Nothing major. The only noteworthy news is that Lord Iwakura is serving as the new emperor's tutor, attending to him and teaching him every step of the way."

Saigo Kinosuke nodded slightly, muttering to himself:

"That's it..."

Komatsu, slightly slow to notice the strangeness in the other person's mood, asked in return:

"Saigo-kun, what's wrong? Why do you look so thoughtful? Is something bothering you?"

Saigo Kinosuke glanced sideways at Komatsu Tateto with a detached look:
"Bring a knife, do you also believe that the late emperor died of beriberi?"

"...Saigo-kun, isn't it inappropriate to talk about this kind of topic?"

"It is precisely because there is no one else here but you and me that I dare to talk about this topic."

"..."

"..."

An eerie silence enveloped the room...

About half a minute later, Komatsu, carrying a knife, said in a deep voice:
"The late emperor was in poor health, so it would not be surprising if he suddenly died of illness."

Saigo Kinosuke shook his head:
“I know, but I just feel something is wrong… I always feel that Mr. Katsura and Lord Iwakura are hiding something from us.”

Komatsu chuckled, then teased in a playful tone:

"What? Could it be that even you have believed the 'King of Benevolence's' lies and think that the new emperor is an imposter?"

In an effort to undermine Emperor Meiji's legitimacy, Aoto spared no effort in mobilizing the "public opinion machine."

First, they mobilized "journalists" to distribute tabloids all over the country with articles such as "The 'Muren' who stole the magic weapon is an imposter" and "The real Muren has been killed by the people of Changzhou."

Secondly, he ordered the members of the Ninth Division, who were lurking in the city, to spread the relevant information in social places such as teahouses, izakayas, and bathhouses.

This overwhelming media offensive has now reached Samo.

Recently, in the streets and alleys of Kagoshima, one can often hear the common people earnestly discussing which of the two emperors is the rightful heir.

Komatsu carrying a sword was just a joke.

Unexpectedly... his joke made Saigo Kinosuke's expression even more serious.

The smile on Komatsu's face gradually froze and disappeared, replaced by confusion and astonishment.

"Hey, Saigo-kun, you don't actually doubt the authenticity of the new emperor, do you? Don't be fooled by 'King Ni's' sophistry."

Saigo Kinosuke said softly:

"If it really is 'sophistry,' then that's good..."

Perhaps he didn't want to talk about this anymore, because after murmuring like this, he took a deep breath:

"Forget it, let's bring this up another time... By the way, has Ryoma sent any letters?"

Komatsu, eager to quickly move past this frightening topic, hurriedly replied:
"No. He's been out of contact since leaving Nagasaki. If nothing unexpected happens, he should be almost in Tosa by now."

As he listened, Saigo Kichinosuke turned his head and gaze away from the eastern horizon, turning his eyes toward the Tosa Domain.

"Notify me immediately if you receive a letter from Ryoma."

Komatsu nodded vigorously, sword in hand.

"clear."

Encouraged by their success in forging the "Satsuma-Choshu Alliance," Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro decided to press on and embarked on the "Tosa Trip" and "Hizen Trip" without stopping, preparing to further expand the alliance.

They continued their division of labor as always—Sakamoto Ryoma was responsible for lobbying the Tosa Domain, while Nakaoka Shintaro was responsible for lobbying the Hizen Domain.

Following Saigo Kinosuke's gaze, Komatsu also looked in the direction of Tosa:

"I must say, Ryoma and Shintaro did a really great job."

"To be honest, I never expected that they could actually get Satsuma and Choshu, who have a long-standing grudge, back to the negotiating table in such a short time."

Saigo Kinosuke smiled slightly and continued the conversation:

"Yes, I underestimated them."

"Hopefully they can maintain this momentum."

"Whether or not we can win over Tosa is the key to facilitating the 'Western Provinces Alliance'."

"Tosa no Sakai no Sakai, Hizen no Sakai!"

Saigo Kichinosuke had a very clear plan on how to win over Tosa and Hizen.

The general outline of the plan can be summarized as "Tosa first, then Hizen!"
Hizen Domain was the most low-profile and formidable of the "Four Domains of Western Provinces," maintaining a neutral stance for a long time and rarely interfering in world affairs.

At first glance, the rulers and their retainers of the Hizen Domain appeared to be aloof and detached from the world.

But in reality, they had long wanted to get involved and reap the benefits!
In terms of personal feelings, as fellow tozama daimyo of western Japan, the lords and retainers of the Hizen Domain naturally felt closer to Satsuma and Choshu.

Admittedly, if they submitted to "King Ni", they could retain their existing power and wealth, and Aoto could also offer certain benefits to compensate the Hizen Domain.

But if the Southern Shogunate is overthrown and the world order is restored, the rewards that the Hizen Domain will receive will be more than ten or a hundred times greater.
However, to date, the rulers and retainers of the Hizen Domain have taken no action, keeping the domain gates closed and going about their own little lives.

The reason for this is simply that the "benevolent king" is powerful, so they dare not act rashly.

If that's the case, then the solution is quite simple—just let the rulers and retainers of the Hizen Domain see hope of defeating "Lord Ni"!

Saigo Kichinosuke was certain that the alliance between Satsuma and Choshu alone was not enough to sway the lords and retainers of the Hizen Domain.

However, if the Tosa Domain is included, the situation is quite different!

To be fair, the Tosa Domain was the weakest of the "Four Domains of Western Provinces".

Unlike Choshu, which became exceptionally wealthy due to its monopoly of the Shimonoseki Strait, it did not industrialize as early as Satsuma or Hizen.

However, its dense population and its vast fiefdom of 24 koku (a unit of dry measure) should not be underestimated. More importantly, the Tosa Domain has been completely transformed!
After purging the Tosa loyalists who were ideologically extreme and behaviorally biased, the "Three Heroes of Tosa," led by Goto Shōjirō, began to take charge of the Tosa domain's administration.

Although their fame is far less than that of the "Three Heroes of Choshu" and the "Three Heroes of Satsuma", Goto Shojiro and others were certainly not ordinary people to be given the title of "Three Heroes".

They are young and energetic, possess enlightened thinking and an open mind, and are not opposed to advanced Western knowledge and technology.

Under the vigorous promotion of the "Three Unifiers of Tosa", a series of reforms have been initiated within Tosa, and its comprehensive national strength is increasing day by day.

If Tosa joins, the "Satsuma-Choshu Alliance" can become the "Satsuma-Choshu-Tosa Alliance," and in terms of momentum and overall strength, it already has the capital to compete with "Nioh"!

At that time, the rulers and retainers of the Hizen Domain will surely be tempted! It will be much easier to recruit them!
This is like toppling dominoes.

The formation of the "Sargas Alliance" symbolizes the fall of the first domino.

Whether or not the Tosa Domain joins the fold will be the second domino to fall.

Once the first two cards are overturned, it will surely trigger a series of chain reactions! With overwhelming force, all obstacles that have led to the "Western Four Feudatories Alliance" will be swept away!
As Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro were about to depart, Saigo Kinosuke approached them and explained his suggestion to "go to Tosa first and then Hizen."

At that moment, as soon as he finished speaking, he was greeted with smiles from the two of them.

"Mr. Saigo, what a coincidence! We were thinking the same thing!"

Sakamoto Ryoma said this with a grin.

……

……

Choshu Domain, Hagi Castle——

"Your Majesty, as a ruler, you should always remain calm."

Iwakura Tomomi stood beside "Mutsuhito"... or rather, Ōmuro Toranosuke, meticulously instructing him.

Su Xun's "The Art of Power" states: "If Mount Tai collapses before you, your expression will not change; if a deer runs up to your left, your eyes will not blink."

"You should take this sentence as your goal."

"No matter where or when you are, you must never let anyone see your panic or weakness."

"Even if you learn of Mr. Gui's death someday in the future, you must remain calm and never show any signs of panic."

Ōmuro Toranosuke swallowed hard.
"I...I understand."

"Straighten your back! Your back is hunched over again!"

"Yeah, sorry!"

"Stop stammering! Don't look away! No looking around! Is this the demeanor of an emperor?!"

"Yes! I'm so sorry!"

Ōmuro Toranosuke quickly straightened his back, not daring to relax even slightly.

Admittedly, Ōmuro Toranosuke looks a lot like Mutsuhito, and when Iwakura Tomomi found him by chance, he could hardly believe his eyes.

If he hadn't been a believer in gods and Buddhas, he would have truly believed that the gods had manifested their power, bestowing upon him the name "Mutsuhito" at a critical moment when he was desperate due to the deaths of both the Emperor and his son.

Unfortunately... he came from a very low social standing, being a low-ranking samurai who had not received a proper education and could not even recognize many Chinese characters. His words and actions revealed his crudeness and lacked any of the refinement expected of an emperor.

The only consolation is that his courage is truly extraordinary.

Despite being a "pseudo-emperor" forced into the role, he quickly got into character once he donned the imperial robes and received the Yasakani no Magatama and the Yata no Kagami.

When he gave a speech in front of the officials of Changzhou, he performed exceptionally well. His voice was loud and clear, and his words were passionate and inspiring, earning him unanimous praise from the officials of Changzhou.

Even the notoriously strict Iwakura Tomomi had to give it a thumbs up.

However, his overall quality is still too poor.

If you only meet once or twice, you might not be able to tell the truth, but if you stay in contact with someone for a long time, it will definitely arouse suspicion.

Therefore, Iwakura Tomoe, who was well-versed in public affairs, personally took charge of Ōmuro Toranosuke's "Emperor Studies" education, opened a high-intensity "Emperor Course" for him, and trained him from scratch, determined to cultivate this low-ranking samurai into a qualified emperor who would not reveal his true identity!
Furthermore, he must not be allowed to have too much contact with the outside world before he has fully mastered his craft!
After sternly reprimanding the other party, Iwakura Tomomi took out his pocket watch and glanced at the time:
"That's enough for today's classes. You can rest now."

Upon hearing this, Toriyuki Ōmuro secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The daily "Emperor's Lesson" was the time he feared most... Iwakura Tomomi already had a fierce appearance, and when teaching him, she showed no mercy, often scolding him until he felt ashamed and as if he had been drenched in dog blood.

Although this "Emperor's Course" has only been running for a few days, it has already caused great psychological trauma to Ōmuro Toranosuke...

Even now, whenever Iwakura Tomomi appears in his field of vision, his back is covered in cold sweat from fear...

After leaving the order, "Copy this calligraphy ten times and hand it to me tomorrow," Iwakura Tomomi strode out of the room and moved to the courtyard not far away to breathe in the fresh air.

As the gentle sunlight bathed him, he unconsciously let out a long breath.

Being Toranosuke Omuro's private tutor was also very tiring for him, since he had never been an educator before.

Suddenly, Katsura Kogoro's voice came from beside him:
"Lord Iwakura, greetings."

Iwakura Tomomi followed the sound and saw Katsura Kogoro walking slowly towards him, so he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow:

"Mr. Gui, greetings. What brings you here so suddenly?"

Katsura Kogoro gave a wry smile, his expression strange:
"Mr. Iwakura, this is a huge problem..."

Upon hearing this, Iwakura Tomomi was first taken aback, then his face darkened:

"Is 'Nioh' making another move?"

Katsura Kogoro shook his head:

"No, no. A group of troublesome guests have arrived... Compared to these guests, I'd rather it's 'Niou' causing trouble again..."

Iwakura Tomomi did not understand his meaning.

Fortunately, just after Katsura Kogoro finished speaking, a hoarse male voice suddenly came from behind him:
“Mr. Gui, it really hurts me that you called us ‘troublesome guests.’ We used to work together so well.”

Iwakura Tomomi stared in astonishment... but from the shadows behind Katsura Kogoro, a strange pair—a young man with a sword at his waist carrying a middle-aged fat man who was out of shape—slowly walked out and entered his field of vision.

The person who spoke just now was the middle-aged fat man on the young man's back.

Iwakura Tomomi cast a questioning look at Katsura Kogoro:

"Mr. Gui, who are these two gentlemen?"

Before Katsura Kogoro could respond, the middle-aged fat man flashed a harmless smile:
"You must be the famous Iwakura Tomomi? Nice to meet you! I am the Yamata no Orochi of the Hoju Party!"

"The one beneath me is my adopted son, 'Ōtakemaru'. He is deaf and mute, so he often appears aloof. Please don't take offense."

Iwakura Tomomi was well-informed and had naturally heard of the infamous reputation of the Hoju Party. He also knew that Choshu and the Hoju Party had a very close cooperation. If the Hoju Party had not provided full assistance and thwarted Seido's "Choshu Conquest", Choshu would probably have been destroyed long ago.

Iwakura Tomomi's pupils contracted, and his face was filled with disbelief.

"Punish the Party with the Law? What are you doing here if you're here to punish the Party with the Law?"

Orochi's smile grew even brighter:

"Of course I'm here to help you!"

……

……

Qinjin Domain, Otsu, a certain izakaya—

"Ha! That felt great!"

Kondo Isami downed his drink and let out a satisfied shout.

Today is his day off.

Whenever he has a day off, he always changes into casual clothes and heads straight to his favorite izakaya to have a good drink.

Today was no different. Although it was still early, he had already drunk several bottles of sake, and his cheeks were flushed with intoxication.

Suddenly, the sound of conversation coming from his side and behind drew his attention.

"Our Otsu is truly thriving!"

"This is all thanks to the capable Lord Ren and his talented subordinates!"

"Indeed! Vice-Commander Hijikata, Director Yamanami, Chairman Iwasaki... they are all unparalleled talents!"

"As long as the Shinsengumi exists, our Ōtsu will enjoy peace forever!"

Listening to these conversations, Kondo Isami unconsciously curled the corners of his mouth into a smug smile.

He frequented social venues like izakayas and teahouses because he enjoyed hearing others praise the Shinsengumi.

As the head of the Metropolitan Police Department of the Shinsengumi, the Shinsengumi had become his second home.

He felt genuinely happy whenever he heard others praise the strength of the Shinsengumi or the abilities of Aoto and others.

Just as he was happily raising his glass for a sip—

"What a pity, compared to 'Niou' and 'Demon Vice-Commander,' that Kondo Isami is far inferior!"

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(End of this chapter)