I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1129 Assassination of Sakamoto Ryoma! [5400]

The first year of Kuangtian/the first year of Meiji (1866), November 4st, night——

Kyoto, Kawaramachi, Omiya (Iguchi Shinsuke's Residence), a room on the second floor—

"Hello!"

Longma, who was bowing his head before the desk, sneezed loudly.

My already throbbing head became even more dizzy.

Suddenly, a thick haori was draped over his back from behind.

"Mr. Sakamoto, please use this."

Sakamoto Ryoma turned his head, smiled, and thanked the young man who had handed him the haori:
"Thank you, Fengji. Phew... It's so cold tonight."

As he spoke, he tucked the haori (feathered garment) tightly inside.

The young man called "Feng Ji" smiled.

“Mr. Sakamoto, since you are sick, you should rest in bed. Your body is still very weak and you need to rest.”

Yesterday, Sakamoto Ryoma unfortunately caught a cold and developed a high fever, only managing to recover his energy this evening.

Sakamoto Ryoma forced a helpless expression:
"I also want to rest, but I have important matters to attend to."

Upon hearing this, Minekichi subconsciously turned his gaze to the table in front of Sakamoto Ryoma.

To be precise, it was looking at a piece of paper placed on the table.

Since yesterday, Sakamoto Ryoma has been locking himself in his room, carefully recuperating while meticulously writing something on this piece of paper.

"I understand. In that case, I won't bother you any longer."

Minekichi bowed slightly to Sakamoto Ryoma and slowly withdrew.

Just then, Sakamoto Ryoma suddenly remembered something and hurriedly called out to Minekichi's retreating figure:
"Oh, right, I almost forgot to mention. Minekichi, Shintaro will be visiting later. Please be careful in receiving him. When he arrives, bring him here."

"Shintaro? Mr. Nakaoka?"

"Yes, that's him."

"I understand."

After finishing speaking, Minekichi bowed to Sakamoto Ryoma again.

After watching Minekichi leave, Sakamoto Ryoma lowered his head again and looked at the paper on the table.

The paper was covered with a dense array of personal names.

Looking at these names, a satisfied look spread across Sakamoto Ryoma's face.

He hummed a little tune and continued writing name after name on the paper with great enthusiasm.

……

……

The Omiya restaurant where Sakamoto Ryoma is currently hiding is a soy sauce shop.

As the name suggests, this is a shop that specializes in making and selling soy sauce.

Aside from Teradaya, where Otose and Oryu lived, this Omiya was Sakamoto Ryoma's most frequently used hiding place in Kyoto.

Just as Feng Ji and the other staff were packing up their equipment on the first floor, preparing to close—

Boom, boom, boom.

Three knocks suddenly came from outside the shop door.

Feng Ji and the others exchanged glances, all showing wary expressions.

Minekichi went down to Tsuchima and said in an apologetic tone:
"Sorry, we're closed."

The person outside the door remained unmoved and said softly:
"I am Shintaro Nakaoka."

Upon hearing this name, Feng Ji's expression hardened, and he immediately reached out and opened the shop door.

As soon as the door opened, Shintaro Nakaoka slipped inside like an eel.

Upon seeing Feng Ji, he unfastened the sword from his waist and asked him directly:
"Minekichi, where's Ryoma?"

Feng Ji gestured "please" towards the stairs.

"Mr. Nakaoka, please come with me."

Led by Minekichi, Nakaoka Shintaro hurried up to the second floor and entered Sakamoto Ryoma's room.

Upon seeing Nakaoka Shintaro finally appear, Sakamoto Ryoma immediately put down his calligraphy brush, stood up with a beaming smile, and greeted him.

"Oh! Shintaro! I've been waiting for you for ages! Tonight has been awful! Not only is it freezing cold, but it's also raining!"

The weather isn't very good tonight.

After nightfall, a light, misty rain began to fall outside, and the sound of rain outside the window never stopped.

Shintaro Nakaoka nodded slightly and gave a brief greeting.

"Ryoma, I heard you were sick. Are you alright?"

"It's nothing, just a slight cold. Get a good night's sleep tonight and you'll be fine tomorrow."

During their conversation, Feng Ji quietly withdrew, leaving a private space for the two to talk.

"Come, Shintaro, have a seat."

Sakamoto Ryoma waved to Nakaoka Shintaro.

The two sat facing each other in the center of the room.

Shintaro Nakaoka carefully placed his sword at his right side, straightened his legs, and stood with a solemn expression.
"Ryoma, why did you suddenly summon me here? You've been avoiding me and disliking me all this time, but tonight you've taken the initiative to contact me."

Shintaro Nakaoka's plan to "repeatedly harass Ryoma Sakamoto to change his mind" did not work, but it did exhaust Ryoma.

Recently, Sakamoto Ryoma has been avoiding Nakaoka Shintaro as if he were a plague carrier, constantly changing his hiding place.

"I just want to convince you to agree with my ideas before I meet with Tachibana Aoto."

Shintaro Nakaoka frowned:
"Ryoma, you're spouting this nonsense again. How could Tachibana Aoto possibly want to meet with you..."

Before Shintaro Nakaoka could finish speaking, Ryoma Sakamoto interrupted him, saying:

"Thanks to Yamanami-kun's matchmaking, I have made an appointment with Tachibana Aoto, and I will meet him in Otsu tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Shintaro Nakaoka's eyes widened in shock.

"W-What?! Ryoma, you're not kidding me, are you? You're really going to meet with Tachibana Aoto?"

"That's right, I'll set off for Otsu first thing tomorrow morning."

While Nakaoka Shintaro was in a daze, Sakamoto Ryoma pulled the piece of paper that was laid out on the table.

"Shintaro, take a look at this. This is a list that I have painstakingly compiled recently."

Sakamoto Ryoma handed the paper to Nakaoka Shintaro.

Shintaro Nakaoka blankly reached out and took it, but his expression changed after just one glance, and his already slightly furrowed brows furrowed even more.

"What is this? What's with these names?"

Sakamoto Ryoma smiled slightly:
"These are the key ministers I plan to recommend after the new government is formed. Once the North and South are united, I hope the new government can use this list as a reference to select the pillars to support the new era."

Upon hearing this, Shintaro Nakaoka quickly lowered his head, squinted his eyes, and carefully counted each name written on the paper.

If you don't look at it, fine, but once you do, you can't help but be shocked, and the more you look, the more alarmed you become.

The list included the names of important officials from both the Southern and Northern Dynasties, with each side's names roughly equal in number.

Shintaro Nakaoka tossed the list aside with a puzzled look on his face.

"Ryoma, I really don't understand you anymore! What exactly are you trying to do? First you advised Saigo-san to 'promote peace through war,' and now you've written this inexplicable list!"

Faced with Shintaro Nakaoka's stern questioning, Ryoma Sakamoto did not respond immediately, but instead said something completely out of the blue:

"hungry."

He jumped up, went straight outside, and shouted downstairs:

"Fengji! Go buy a chicken!"

Feng Ji's reply came immediately from downstairs:
"Chicken?"

"That's right! Buy a fatter one! I want to have chicken hot pot!"

"I understand! I'll be right back!"

After giving his instructions, Sakamoto Ryoma sat back down in front of Nakaoka Shintaro.

"Shintaro, once the chicken arrives, let's enjoy a chicken hot pot while we pass the long night."

When he mentioned the phrase "the long night," he deliberately adopted a joking tone.

However, Shintaro Nakaoka had no time to pay attention to his joke.

After taking a deep breath, Shintaro Nakaoka leaned forward, closing the distance between himself and the other person in one breath, until he was right in front of him, and lowered his voice:

"Regardless of the state of the 'Northern Dynasty,' if our dynasty were to unify the world in the future, we would never allow officials from the 'Northern Dynasty' to enter the new government."

"Besides, there's absolutely no point in you writing this list."

"Let me be frank, you're not some big shot."

"Whether it's this dynasty or the 'Northern Dynasty,' why should we use your list as a reference?"

"Who do you think you are? You're just a powerless nobody, yet you dare to interfere with the new government's personnel appointments?"

Shintaro Nakaoka became more and more excited as he spoke, and his spittle almost sprayed onto Ryoma Sakamoto's face.

Sakamoto Ryoma Kanji:

"Shintaro, let's put the knife aside for now."

"If we get into a heated argument and impulsively draw our knives and start attacking each other, that would be troublesome."

As he spoke, he took out his sword—the famous sword Mutsu no Kami Yoshiyuki—and placed it in a niche out of reach of his hand.

This knife was a parting gift from his sister to him on the eve of his departure from his fiefdom.

Because of this incident, when the Tosa Domain investigated Sakamoto Ryoma for his defection, she was implicated and had to commit suicide to atone for her sins.

Shintaro Nakaoka hesitated for a moment, then placed his sword into the alcove as well.

After disarming themselves, Sakamoto Ryoma crossed his arms and a candid smile appeared on his slightly upturned lips:

"Shintaro, my original intention has never changed."

"I sincerely hope that this country will become more open and better."

"This country should no longer be divided into North and South, nor should it be divided into feudal domains and shogunate."

"The bloody slaughter among our own people... this is something I absolutely cannot tolerate."

"Mr. Saigo, Mr. Katsura, and others were determined to carry out a bloody revenge against the upper and lower levels of the 'Northern Court' after defeating it."

"Shintaro, ask yourself honestly—is this behavior really right?"

Shintaro Nakaoka pursed his lips and remained silent for a long time.

Sakamoto Ryoma then continued the conversation:
"It was precisely to prevent such tragedies that I was willing to fall out with Mr. Saigo."

"Conversely, even if Tachibana Seido were to become the 'King of the World,' I would do everything in my power to persuade him to adopt a policy of appeasement towards the 'Southern Dynasty'—and that is precisely why I insisted on meeting him."

"Shintaro, my strength alone is too weak to accomplish anything."

"But with your help, we might just be able to achieve something great!"

Sakamoto Ryoma's eyes sparkled.

The phrase "sincere and heartfelt" is truly the most fitting description of his words.

Shintaro Nakaoka remained silent.

A moment later, he silently picked up the list he had just thrown aside and began to browse through it again.

"...Ryoma, I want to ask you a question."

"Please speak." "Why isn't your name on this list?"

The list contained hundreds of names, including his own, Shintaro Nakaoka.

But the only thing missing was the name "Sakamoto Ryoma".

Sakamoto Ryoma scratched his head and laughed a few times:

“I am not suited to be an official. I am used to being a carefree person and I cannot adapt to the rules of officialdom.”

Shintaro Nakaoka couldn't help but ask again:
"So, when the new era begins, what do you want to be?"

Sakamoto Ryoma replied without hesitation:

"It's probably about forming a 'World Sea Aid Team'! Leading like-minded friends and family to travel around the world together!"

"Shintaro, do you know? There are still many undiscovered places in this world!"

"It is said that at the southernmost tip of the world, there is a vast ice continent!"

"Hahaha! I really want to see it with my own eyes!"

Ryoma Sakamoto enthusiastically recounted his dream.

Upon hearing this, Shintaro Nakaoka let out a long sigh of relief.

"...Ryoma, you really are a selfless person."

"Of course! In the face of righteousness, how can 'selfishness' find a place!"

……

……

Omi-ya, first floor—

After Fengji went to buy chicken, the already deserted shop became even more desolate.

A few shop assistants quietly went about their work.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

The shop assistants all stopped what they were doing.

"Hmm? Feng Ji is back?"

"He can't possibly be back so soon, can he?"

"He doesn't need to knock when he comes back, does he..."

Fujiyoshi—Sakamoto Ryoma's personal attendant—rushed down to Doma in three quick steps, getting close to the shop door:

"Sorry, we're closed."

A deep, resonant male voice immediately came from outside the door:
"I am Totsugawa Goji. If Mr. Sakamoto is here, I would like to pay him a visit."

As Sakamoto Ryoma's personal attendant, Fujiyoshi knew that several Totsugawa villagers were on good terms with Sakamoto Ryoma.

With that thought in mind, he gently pushed open the shop door.

There was only one samurai wearing a low-brimmed straw hat outside the door.

The other person handed over a neatly folded piece of paper through the crack in the door.

"Please give this to Sakamoto Ryoma. Once he sees this, he'll know who has come to visit."

Seeing that the other party was alone, Fujikichi had no suspicions and took the piece of paper to go upstairs.

Because he had turned around, he didn't notice at all—behind him, outside the shop door, several ghostly figures suddenly appeared...

……

……

"...Ryoma, you are truly amazing."

Shintaro Nakaoka breathed a sigh of relief.

"You are selfless and devoted to the public good."

Compared to you, I seem petty.

"Since you have such lofty ambitions, I am willing to risk my life to accompany you!"

Sakamoto Ryoma's eyes shone even brighter.

"I am deeply grateful! Shintaro, with your assistance it is as if I had the strength of a thousand men!"

Shintaro Nakaoka chuckled a few times, then waved the list in his hand:

"Ryoma, remove my name from this list. Like you, I don't want to be an official."

Upon hearing this, Sakamoto Ryoma raised an eyebrow:
"Oh? In that case, Shintaro, would you be interested in joining my 'World Marine Rescue Team' in the future?"

Shintaro Nakaoka gave a wry smile:
"To be honest, I'm quite interested. But..."

He said this with a serious expression, his face hardening.

Sakamoto Ryoma was taken aback.

"but what?"

"Ryoma, come closer, I have a secret to tell you."

Sakamoto Ryoma obediently leaned over.

Shintaro Nakaoka brought his lips close to Ryoma Sakamoto's ear, lowered his voice, and whispered:
"I...can't swim, I'm afraid to go out to sea."

Sakamoto Ryoma paused for a moment, then slapped his thigh and flashed a cheerful expression:
"That's easy! I'll teach you to swim someday! I guarantee you'll learn to swim in just one day!"

The two looked at each other and smiled.

The tense atmosphere that had lingered between them since they left Samo dissipated like melting snow at this moment.

Sakamoto Ryoma patted his belly:
"Oh dear, isn't Feng Ji back yet? This is the perfect time to enjoy a hot drink while we're at it!"

Suddenly, a clanging and banging sound came from downstairs, which was unusually noisy.

In the midst of his excitement, Sakamoto Ryoma shouted without hesitation:
"Quiet! Don't make a sound!"

It was this shout that alerted the group of "uninvited guests" to Sakamoto Ryoma's whereabouts.

Thump thump thump thump thump thump!

The floor of the corridor thumped loudly underfoot.

Shintaro Nakaoka was the first to notice the anomaly; the smile on his face vanished instantly, and his expression changed drastically.
"Oh no! It's an assassin!"

As he shouted a warning, he instinctively reached for the knife—but grasped nothing.

Their swords were kept in niches out of reach.

In the blink of an eye, several assassins burst into the room!
call out!
The first assassin swept his blade across the ground, knocking Nakaoka Shintaro to the ground.

The second assassin bypassed the first assassin and swung his blade at Sakamoto Ryoma's head.

Sakamoto Ryoma was caught off guard and took a solid cut to the forehead.

Because it happened so suddenly, Sakamoto Ryoma felt no pain.

He lunged toward the alcove and grasped Mutsu no Kami Yoshiyuki.

Alas... the third assassin has already attacked!
There was no time to draw his sword, so Sakamoto Ryoma could only raise the sword, blade and sheath together, above his head to block the third assassin's slash.

The opponent's attack was powerful and heavy, and Mutsu no Kami Yoshiyuki's sword scabbard was cleaved open.

The aftereffects of the knife wound to the head began to appear.

Sakamoto Ryoma felt his consciousness fading and his body unable to exert any strength.

In the blink of an eye, the fourth assassin arrived.

call out!
While Sakamoto Ryoma was preoccupied with the third assassin, the fourth assassin swung his sword, striking Sakamoto Ryoma squarely in the body.

At this point, Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro were completely unable to resist.

They lay on the tatami mats, enduring one stab after another, blood splattering throughout the room.

"Alright, alright, that's enough."

At a command, the assassins all stopped their blades.

Lying in a pool of blood, Sakamoto Ryoma was too weak to get up and didn't even know if he was breathing.

His vision was blurred; he could only vaguely make out a tall, shadowy figure standing before him, obscuring the candlelight.

"Sakamoto Ryoma, this is all your fault. It's because you didn't listen to advice that you've suffered this disaster."

After leaving those words, the shadowy figure waved his hand to indicate "retreat" and turned to leave.

The assassins sheathed their weapons and followed the shadowy figure away.

This sarcastic remark, half indifferent and half regretful, made Sakamoto Ryoma's eyes widen.

In that instant, he understood the assassins' identities...

"So that's how it is..."

As he muttered to himself, a self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips.

Lacking the strength to turn his head, Sakamoto Ryoma could only ask in a weak voice:
"Shintaro... are you... still alive...?"

Then, Shintaro Nakaoka replied in an equally weak voice:

"Barely alive...but dying soon..."

"Oh, I see... Me too..."

Sakamoto Ryoma used his last bit of strength to pull out Mutsu no Kami Yoshiyuki from his hand.

Through the mirror-like blade, he could barely make out his current appearance—his face was covered in blood, and brain matter was oozing from the wound on his forehead.

With injuries like these, even if a renowned doctor arrived immediately, it would be impossible to save him.

"Shintaro... I've been slashed in the head... I'm dying..."

As soon as he finished speaking, with a "clang," Mutsu no Kami Yoshiyuki, which was in his hand, fell onto the tatami mat.

At that moment, Sakamoto Ryoma noticed something out of the corner of his eye—a brocade pouch fell out of his pocket and landed right in front of him.

This is a talisman that Ah Long made for him.

Looking at the brocade pouch, a hint of regret appeared on Sakamoto Ryoma's face.

"I'm sorry... Arlong... I'm sorry... Shintaro... I'm sorry... everyone..."

I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Sakamoto Ryoma murmured the same words over and over again, slowly closing his eyes...

*******
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It's almost the end of the month again! Readers with monthly passes, please be sure to vote for this book! (crying leopard head.jpg)

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

The content of this chapter is mostly based on historical facts.

Sakamoto Ryoma's sudden death truly seems like "fatalism," with various coincidences leading to his demise.

Because Fengji was sent to buy chickens, there was one less clever servant who could have given a heads-up.

Because I happened to be sick, my physical condition was not good.

Because I haven't used force in a long time, my reaction time has slowed down considerably.

Because the knife was in the alcove, I couldn't draw it in time.

These coincidences led to Sakamoto Ryoma's death.

The true identities of the assassins who killed Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro are a historical mystery.

Leopard uses one of the guesses—Sakamoto Ryoma's "peace proposal" displeased Saigo and others in Satsuma, so the latter decided to kill him to silence him.

Given the Meiji government's utter lack of moral boundaries, Saigo and his associates might actually have done something like that.

In conclusion, with Sakamoto Ryoma dead, the last shackle that could have restrained the North-South conflict has been broken.

The final battle of this book is about to begin.