I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1118 The Red Reporting Team and the "Annual Tribute Halving Order" [5500]

Besides Saigo Kichinosuke, the other two members of the "Satsuma Three Heroes"—Komatsu Tateto and Okubo Ichizo—are also here.

Just like Saigo Kinosuke, Komatsu Tateto and Okubo Ichizo also cast sharp glances at Sakamoto Ryoma.

Saigo Kinosuke twitched the corners of his mouth, half-sneer and half-criticism as he retorted:
"Sakamoto-kun, I don't understand what you mean."

What does it mean that 'any action that leads to mass casualties is unacceptable'?

"We're at war."

"Since it's war, there will naturally be casualties. There's no war where people don't die."

"Are you trying to tell me that we should lay down our weapons and start chanting scriptures every day to curse Tachibana Aoto to death?"

At this moment, Okubo Ichizo suddenly interjected:
"Sakamoto-kun, I have heard about your recent actions."

"It is said that you advocate dialogue with the 'Northern Dynasty' and restore peace to the world through negotiations."

“You are a distinguished guest of Samo, so I don’t want to say anything too harsh.”

"But what needs to be said still needs to be made clear—Sakamoto-kun, you are really too naive."

"What you can't get on the battlefield, you can't get at the negotiating table either."

"A few light touches of lips, and you think you can settle a dispute... How could such a good thing exist?"

"Go and look through the history books, and see how many words in them were written in blood."

Compared to Saigo Kinosuke and Komatsu Tateto, who frequently appear in public, Okubo Ichizo, who was in charge of Satsuma's internal affairs, was much more low-key.

Although not well-known outside of Satsuma, the name "Okubo Ichizo" is said to have the power to "stop children from crying"!

Because of his decisive and ruthless actions, he was like a "political machine" devoid of emotions and desires, so the people of Satsuma both respected and feared him.

For the vast majority of samurai and commoners of the Satsuma Domain, Okubo Ichizo was the embodiment of words like "cold-blooded" and "heartless."

The successive attacks by Saigo Kinosuke and Okubo Ichizo did not deter Sakamoto Ryoma.

"Saigo-kun, Okubo-kun, you've both misunderstood me!"

Sakamoto Ryoma, head held high and chest puffed out, said solemnly, enunciating each word clearly:
"I am not a fool who cannot distinguish between what is important and what is not."

"Of course I know that any negotiations are ineffective before the outcome is decided on the battlefield."

"What I advocate is that after making Tachibana Seiden suffer, we should not escalate the war, and we should not view the people of the Northern Dynasty as 'losers'! We should regard them as our important compatriots! We should actively adopt appeasement measures towards them!"

"Enough blood has been shed in recent years! Let's not shed any more!"

Why should we be so eager to kill each other?

"Western powers are eyeing our country with covetous intent. In the face of this unprecedented change, shouldn't we unite as one and move forward hand in hand?"

Sakamoto Ryoma calmly surveyed the entire arena, awaiting the response from the other side.

Saigo Kinosuke and Okubo Ichizo remained silent—this time it was Komatsu Tatekō's turn to speak.

Komatsu, who had been silent until now, spoke calmly:

"Sakamoto-kun, do you know how many of our comrades have been harmed by the 'Northern Court'?"

“Even if we were willing to let the Northern Dynasty go, Changzhou would not agree.”

“The people of Choshu harbor deep resentment towards the Northern Court, and they especially wish they could grind the chief villains, such as Tachibana no Seito and Matsudaira Katamori, to dust.”

"Without a doubt, after defeating the 'Northern Court,' the people of Choshu will definitely destroy the Hatazu and Aizu domains completely, and no one can stop them."

Sakamoto Ryoma frowned slightly, his tone heavy:
"It is precisely to stop this kind of foolish thing that I am offering this advice to you all here and now!"

"The only ones who can stop Changzhou's retaliatory actions are you gentlemen here!"

Okubo Ichizo coldly said, immediately following Komatsu with his sword:

"Sakamoto-kun, I understand what you're thinking now."

"Simply put, your proposition is 'negotiation as the primary means, war as a secondary means'."

"After defeating the 'Northern Dynasty,' they switched to negotiation to promote peace."

At this point, Okubo Ichizo let out a blatant and undisguised sneer.

"Hmph, it seems I wasn't wrong when I said you were naive."

“You just said, ‘After making Tachibana Seito suffer, don’t escalate the war.’”

"Then I'd like to ask you a question in return: how badly do we have to fight before we can make Tachibana Seito suffer?"

"Should we take the Kyoto region? Or Nobi? Or should we fight all the way to Kanto and take Edo as well?"

"Ju Qingdeng is a hero with a strong will and an indomitable spirit."

"How could one or two defeats possibly discourage him?"

“Sakamoto-kun, our war with the ‘Northern Court’ is no small matter.”

"What we are fighting for is the rightful right to rule, the right to rule the world!"

"In a war of this magnitude, there is no room for mercy! We must go all out and fight fiercely until either side is completely defeated!"

"How can you suddenly stop halfway through a fight and ask the other party, 'Why don't we talk?'"

"Don't treat war like a game!"

Ryoma Sakamoto had anticipated Ichizo Okubo's harsh criticism and had made adequate preparations accordingly.

Unfortunately, before he could reply, Saigo Kinosuke interrupted him calmly:
"...Sakamoto-kun, I have a general understanding of your position."

"This is a matter of great importance, and it is not up to us in Samo to decide. It requires all the high-ranking members of the 'Western Alliance' to reach a consensus before a final decision can be made."

"However, I have to admit that you have a lot to say."

"When I meet with Mr. Gui and the others later, I will share your ideas with them."

Saigo Kichinosuke spoke very politely, seemingly accepting Sakamoto Ryoma's opinion.

But in reality, anyone could tell that he was just giving them the runaround.

Sakamoto Ryoma wanted to say something more, but he had already keenly sensed the air of being asked to leave.

After much internal struggle, he swallowed the words that were on his throat and let out a long, silent sigh.

……

……

What should have been a joyous and harmonious "awards ceremony" ended in an awkward atmosphere.

After bidding farewell to the "Satsuma Three Heroes", Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro left side by side.

After moving to a deserted and quiet place, Shintaro Nakaoka, who had been holding back for a long time, finally exploded and angrily rebuked:
"Ryoma, what's wrong with you now? Why did you say such stupid things just now?"

Sakamoto Ryoma said calmly:
"I was merely stating my opinion. Shintaro, don't you think my thoughts are correct?"

"Correct? Where is it correct?"

Shintaro Ooka frowned, glaring angrily at Ryoma Sakamoto with a look of displeasure.

"You've been rambling on for so long, haven't you just been trying to say that we should show leniency to the 'Northern Dynasty'?"

"The 'Northern Dynasty' is a perverse and treacherous regime. What's wrong with retaliating against them and making them pay a bloody price for their folly?"

"Furthermore, 'showing mercy' is a privilege of the strong towards the weak."

"Our strength is at best comparable to that of the 'Northern Dynasty'."

“Even if we fight with all our might, we may not be able to defeat the Northern Dynasty.”

"Under such circumstances, what right do we have to talk about 'showing mercy'?"

“What Okubo-kun just said is quite right. Ryoma, you are indeed too naive!”

After hearing this, Sakamoto Ryoma gave a wry smile:
"Naive...maybe."

After chuckling self-deprecatingly a few times, Sakamoto Ryoma suddenly turned left.

Upon seeing this, Shintaro Nakaoka quickly stopped and asked in a fast voice:
"Hey! Ryoma, where are you going?"

"Kyoto."

"Kyoto? What are you going to Kyoto for?"

"Go see Arlong and Granny Otose. While you're at it, see if there's any way to get close to Tachibana Aoto."

"What? You're getting close to Tachibana Aoto? Do you want to assassinate him?"

"How could that be? With my already sluggish body, I probably wouldn't even be able to touch a hair on Tachibana Seiden's head. I want to meet with Tachibana Seiden and have a proper talk with him. If we want to bridge the gap between North and South peacefully, we need the joint efforts of both sides."

"Negotiation with Tachibana Aoto? Hey! Have you gone mad? Are you addicted to negotiations? Do you know how dangerous Kyoto is right now? The streets are full of Shinsengumi patrols!"

Sakamoto Ryoma ignored Nakaoka Shintaro's advice and went his own way.

Shintaro Nakaoka gritted his teeth, a look of hesitation appearing on his face.

A moment later, he stomped his foot hard, then chased after him as fast as he could:

"Ryoma! Wait for me! I'll go to Kyoto with you!"

"Oh? Shintaro, you want to be my bodyguard?" "With my lousy skills, you're more suited to be my bodyguard! I'm here to advise you! I'm already scared of you! I'm going to keep nagging you until you change your mind and completely abandon your naive ideas!"

……

……

Saigo Kinosuke stood by the window, quietly watching Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro gradually disappear into the distance.

"That Sakamoto Ryoma is really too presumptuous."

With a furrowed brow and an icy expression, Okubo Ichizo moved to Saigo Kinosuke's side, his eyes coldly fixed on Sakamoto Ryoma's receding figure.

"It seems we've been spoiling him too much lately, to the point that he's a little confused about his place."

"A mere lobbyist dares to take advantage of us and criticize us."

Komatsu, standing to the side with his arms crossed, added casually:
“Sakamoto-kun has been promoting his ‘appeasement’ policy everywhere lately.”

"He is an eloquent debater, and many people have already listened to and agreed with his ideas."

Upon hearing this, Okubo Ichizo's face grew even colder:
"Hmph! With a major battle imminent, this guy who's undermining our morale is really unlucky!"

After a moment of silence, he continued quietly:
“Saigo-kun, Sakamoto-kun’s actions have crossed the line, and we must stop him.”

Komatsu shrugged, his shoulder tucked behind his sword.

"Stop him? I'm afraid it won't be that easy. Sakamoto-kun is stubborn; you can't persuade him with words alone."

Okubo Ichizo pursed his lips and lowered his eyelids:

"...If words alone can't shut him up, then try a different way to make him shut up."

Komatsu remained silent.

After a moment, he scratched his forehead and sighed:
"...Okubo-kun, can you please stop?"

"To kill him simply because of a disagreement is... utterly inhumane."

"Moreover, Sakamoto-kun is a great contributor to the 'Western Alliance'."

"I cannot condone this cruel act of 'killing the hunting dog after the cunning rabbit is dead.'"

"Moreover, our current situation is not optimistic enough to allow us to slaughter our lackeys at will."

No sooner had Komatsu finished speaking than Okubo Ichizo revealed his impatience and rudely shouted:

Was the successful formation of the "Western Alliance" entirely due to Sakamoto Ryoma alone?

"His crime of 'disrupting morale' alone is enough to warrant his execution and public display of his head!"

"Those who are united in heart and mind are strong; those who are united in desire will prevail!"

"The most urgent task at hand is to unite the people! Only in this way can we gather the greatest strength to defeat the 'Northern Dynasty'!"

"If we allow Sakamoto Ryoma to continue promoting his so-called 'appeasement' policy, it will surely demoralize the people!"

"Some people want to be 'tough,' while others want to be 'appease.' With everyone acting independently, how can we fight this war? We might as well just surrender to Tachibana Seito as soon as possible!"

Okubo Ichizo was aggressive and did not hold back his sharp edge just because the other party was an important colleague.

He and Komatsu glared at each other, neither willing to back down.

Fortunately, Kichinosuke Saigo spoke up in time, interrupting the argument between the two:
"...This matter will be discussed later."

After saying that, he turned to look at Komatsu with a knife.

"Take a sword, any news about Sagara Souzo?"

Komatsu shook his head, carrying a knife:

"No. Sigh... Souzo's temper is even more stubborn than Ryoma's..."

Sozo Sagara – A talented individual discovered by Kichinosuke Saigo when he was recruiting a large number of ronin to form the Satsuma Imperial Bandit Group.

He was originally a private tutor who taught Chinese classics and military strategy, and promoted the idea of ​​"respecting the king and repelling the barbarians". At its peak, he had as many as a hundred disciples.

In 1861, he resolutely stopped running his private school and took the excuse of traveling to the Oshu region of the Tohoku region. He took 5 taels of gold from his father, Kojima Heiba, and traveled around Shinano, Ueno, and Shimotsuke. He invited local wealthy farmers and merchants to form a group to support the emperor and expel foreigners. He also contacted the pro-imperial faction in Choshu and Kurume to plot an uprising and implement the policy of supporting the emperor and expelling foreigners.

Afterwards, he formed an armed force called the "Generous Group," mainly composed of wealthy farmers, self-cultivating farmers, and tenant farmers. Together with other patriotic groups such as the "True Loyal Group" and the "Heavenly Dynasty Group," they launched military campaigns to expel foreigners in places such as Akagi Mountain, Takasaki Castle, and Yokohama, and burned down foreign mansions. However, due to insufficient preparation, internal divisions, and betrayal by traitors, the campaign failed.

After the "Generous Group's" uprising at Mount Akagi was thwarted, Sagara Sozo went to places like Suwa District in Shinano Province to try to rise again, but failed once more.

However, he did not lose heart. In March of the first year of Genji (1864), he joined the Tsukuba Mountain uprising of the Mito Domain's Soroku faction. Soon after, dissatisfied with the faction's focus on factional strife and neglect of the Soroku struggle, he returned to Edo.

Later, he accepted Saigo Kichinosuke's summons and went to Satsuma to join the Satsuma royal thieves.

In short, although Sozo Sagara was not a veteran among the anti-Japanese patriots, he had an exceptionally rich experience in rebellion!

Even among the vast number of esteemed and ambitious individuals, it would be difficult to find someone with such an impressive resume.

Saigo Kichinosuke greatly admired Sagara Sozo, so he promoted him to be the leader of the Satsuma Imperial Thieves and entrusted him with important responsibilities.

Sozo Sagara did not betray Kichinosuke Saigo's trust.

After being ordered to lead his troops to the capital region to disrupt the rear of the "Northern Dynasty," he accomplished his mission brilliantly.

In addition to carrying out his duties, he actively promoted the "Annual Tribute Halving Order" to the farmers within the shogunate's territory.

The "Annual Tribute Reduction Decree" was a new decree drafted by the Southern Dynasty to win over the hearts and minds of the people.

As the name suggests, the general content of this edict was to halve all taxes within the shogunate's territory.

The person who suggested that the Southern Dynasty implement the "Annual Tribute Reduction Order" was none other than Sagara Sozo.

Sozo Sagara's father was a wealthy farmer who had managed village affairs. Because he was the son of a farmer, he had a strong attachment to farmers.

One of the main reasons he threw himself into the Soshin-boku movement was his inability to tolerate the exploitation of millions of peasants by the shogunate lords.

The Southern Dynasty's leadership was naturally pleased with this policy, which was able to win people's hearts, and readily adopted Sangaku Sozo's suggestion, thus enabling the "Annual Tribute Reduction Decree" to be passed.

However, just recently, an accident occurred.

The confrontation between the Northern and Southern Dynasties was all-encompassing and across all fields.

In order to win the support of all classes and forces, both sides have resorted to all means.

Wealthy merchants from various regions who control vast amounts of money and grain are naturally among the best targets for courting.

Choosing sides is an art.

If some merchants sided with the "Northern Dynasty," then naturally other merchants would side with the "Southern Dynasty."

Under the influence of the Kurashiro-ya, most merchants in the Kyoto region, centered around Osaka, supported the "Northern Court".

Many of the powerful merchants from other towns and cities, such as Mitsui, Ono, and Shimada, sided with the "Southern Court," offering money and seeking their support.

However, these wealthy merchants were not happy to see the implementation of the "Annual Tribute Reduction Order".

If farmers' rent and taxes are reduced, how are we merchants supposed to make money?

Therefore, they jointly demanded that the "Southern Dynasty" abolish the "Annual Tribute Reduction Order".

Should the "Annual Tribute Halving Order" be continued to appease farmers, or should it be abolished to please merchants?

For the leaders of the "Southern Dynasty," this was not a difficult choice—they decisively chose the latter.

Therefore, Saigo Kichinosuke relayed the order to Sagara Sozo, informing him that the "Annual Tribute Reduction Order" had been cancelled and that the "Southern Court" would not reduce or exempt taxes within the shogunate's territory.

This order caused the three great generals of Xiangyue to be engulfed in flames.

How can a policy that has been agreed upon be reversed so easily?
Therefore, he refused to comply and insisted on continuing to preach the "Annual Tribute Reduction Order" to the farmers.

At the same time, the Shinsengumi began their crackdown on the Imperial Guards and the Satsuma Imperial Thieves.

The stronghold was wiped out, the deputy commander Imuta Shohei was captured, and important members such as Masumitsu Kyunosuke were also imprisoned. Only a very few people, such as Sagara Sozo, escaped.

Seeing that the Satsuma royal thieves had suffered a devastating blow and were no longer able to carry out their mission of "disrupting the rear of the Northern Court," Saigo Kichinosuke simply ordered the recall of the remaining Satsuma royal thieves.

However, perhaps disappointed with the "Southern Court," Sagara Sozo once again defied Saigo Kichinosuke's orders and refused to return!
He did not stop those who wanted to return to Samo, letting them choose to stay or leave as they pleased.

Thus, the already severely depleted Satsuma Imperial Thieves split into two factions. Most of them fled back to Satsuma in disgrace, while only a small number were inspired by Sagara Sozo's lofty ideals and chose to continue fighting alongside him.

It is said that Sagara Sozo plans to integrate his remaining troops to form a new unit called "Akahotai" – meaning "to serve the country with a loyal heart".

Sozo Sagara, who was once favored by Kichinosuke Saigo, has now become a traitor who splits the organization and acts on his own initiative...

It's obvious that it's impossible not to punish him!
How to deal with Sagara Sozo—this is a topic that has been frequently raised in the Satsuma Domain's court recently.

Saigo Kichinosuke still wanted to give Sagara Sozo a chance, hoping that he would send a letter to apologize and admit his mistake.

However... to this day, he has still not received any letter from Sagara Sozo...

After a moment of contemplation, Saigo Kinosuke took a deep breath and turned to look out the window again—Sakamoto Ryoma was no longer in sight.

"Sōzō Sagara... Ryōma Sakamoto... you're all such a handful... why can't you just behave and listen to me?"

As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes, a cold light gleaming within them:

"Why do you insist on making things difficult for me..."

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P.S.: When Leopard played "Rise of the Ronin," he got badly beaten by Sagara Sozo, but I never got angry—he was one of the few true men in the anthropomorphic Meiji government, and he deserves respect.