I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

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Was the plot development in this chapter completely unexpected? In fact, the events in this chapter are basically based on historical facts and contain no fictional elements.

This is human history—full of developments that defy even the bounds of fiction.

Chapter 689 Blockade the Xiaguan Strait! Fire on Western Ships! [6300]

"What?! Has the Shogunate gone mad?!"

"Expelling foreigners on May 10th? Today is already May 7th!"

"What will we use to repel the barbarians? Do we really have to use samurai swords to fight against the warships and cannons of the Western countries?"

"Good! The shogunate is finally showing some samurai spirit!"

"It's long overdue to expel the barbarians! I've been waiting for this day for far too long!"

"Brothers! Sharpen your blades, prepare for battle!"

……

Shock, confusion, fear, ecstasy... Kyoto was like a spilled spice dish, with all sorts of sounds and emotions, from sweet and sour to bitter and spicy, all surfacing at once.

Those who are loyal to the shogunate naturally cannot understand Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu's actions.

How could the second-in-command of the Edo Shogunate be led by the nose by the Imperial Court?

Isn't shirking responsibility and acting like a "non-stick pan" that doesn't stick to anything a specialty of the Edo Shogunate?

Even if one is to accept the imperial edict to "immediately expel the barbarians," shouldn't one at least try to evade it?

For example, we could assure the court that we would definitely expel the barbarians! However, it would take at least 10 years to prepare for war.

The expulsion of foreigners will begin on May 10th? Just three days later?!

Even opening the armory and mobilizing the troops would take at least 30 days, right?!

The pro-shogunate faction was deeply worried and anxious.

In contrast, the pro-democracy faction showed a completely different reaction.

They were overjoyed, as if it were a festival.

They were all eager to fight, wishing they could rush to the battlefield immediately, kill the Western barbarians, and make great achievements.

Of course, only the lower and middle-ranking members of the pro-democracy faction would be overjoyed by this.

The vast majority of the lower and middle-level members of the Zunfang faction were unsophisticated country bumpkins who lacked a proper understanding of the world.

They were just like some of the patriotic officials in the court, who thought that the Western barbarians were nothing more than a bunch of barbarians who had nothing to offer except for having bigger ships and more advanced firearms.

As long as you show your spirit and fighting will, you can easily defeat them.

As for the upper echelons of the Zunyong faction... or rather, the cunning elements within the Zunyong faction who, knowing the Western nations were powerful, still used the slogan of "expelling the barbarians" to oppose the shogunate, the outlook was not so optimistic.

They were also extremely puzzled by Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu's strange move of rashly agreeing to the expulsion of foreigners...

……

……

Kyoto, Satsuma Domain Residence——

The three heroes of the Satsuma Domain—Saigo Kichinosuke, who was in charge of military affairs; Komatsu Tateto, who was in charge of diplomacy; and Okubo Ichizo, who was in charge of domestic affairs—the first two gathered in a secret room in the domain's residence for a confidential conversation.

Komatsu, his brow furrowed, said in a deep voice:

"Saigo-kun, what do you think?"

Saigo Kinosuke sat cross-legged, arms crossed in front of his chest, deep in thought.

After a moment, he murmured softly:

"...That Yoshiki Hitotsubashi really played a 'tricky move'..."

Komatsu said with a knife: "Could he have some kind of backup plan?"

Saigo Kichinosuke remained silent for a while.

"...I don't think so. What backup plan could he possibly have?"

Upon hearing this, Komatsu's brows furrowed even more deeply.

"Could it be... that the shogunate really intends to expel the barbarians?"

"Hmph, only God knows."

Saigo Kinosuke sneered and shrugged.

“反正今天已经是5月7日了，再过3天就是5月10日。”

"We'll know on May 10th whether the shogunate really intends to expel the barbarians."

"In short, Samoa remains silent."

"Our current strategy remains unchanged—to observe the situation, wait for the right opportunity, and never make a hasty move."

……

……

Kyoto, Choshu feudal residence——

The three heroes of Choshu—Takasugi Shinsaku, Kusaka Genzui, and Katsura Kogoro—gathered together.

The three sat in a "品" (pin) shape, with Shinsaku Takasugi at the head of the table.

"No, I still feel something is too suspicious!"

Katsura Kogoro slammed his fist on the ground with a thud and shouted loudly.

"How could the shogunate so readily agree to expel the barbarians?"

"Even before this, the shogunate had always maintained a tough stance, unwilling to yield."

"Why did such a huge change happen overnight?"

"A conspiracy! There must be a conspiracy!"

Takasugi Shinsaku glanced at Katsura Kogoro, then pursed his lips, his face full of thought.

"...Gui, you're right, this matter is indeed very strange..."

Before he could finish speaking, Hisaka Genzui, standing to the side, excitedly proclaimed in a loud voice:

"In my opinion, you two are overthinking it!"

"The shogunate did not give this any serious thought."

"They simply couldn't withstand the pressure from the imperial court and had no choice but to submit!"

"In any case, our objective has been achieved!"

"The shogunate has agreed to expel the barbarians."

"The order that 'on May 10th, the shogunate and all the domains must be determined to fight to the death against the Western barbarians' has spread throughout the land."

"Whether it's the shogunate or the various domains, there's no turning back."

"I'd like to see how the shogunate will react on May 10th!"

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that can only be encountered once in a lifetime!"

"Let's take this opportunity to show the world the backbone of the people of Changzhou!"

Having said that, Kusaka Genzui grabbed the sword beside his leg and stood up abruptly.

Upon seeing this, Takasugi Shinsaku immediately frowned and said quickly:

"Hisaka, what do you want to do?"

Hisaka Genzui replied calmly:

"What do I want to do? Is that even a question?"

"Of course, we should immediately return to our fiefdom and lead the war against the barbarians!"

“Changzhou is adjacent to the Shimonoseki Strait, and a large number of ships from the Western Barbarians pass through it every day.”

“In the past, we could only watch helplessly as these despicable Westerners swaggered past our doorsteps.”

"And now, we can finally fight back!"

"The Shimonoseki Strait is the front line of expelling foreigners!"

"If we, Changzhou, do not take the lead in the fight on May 10th, just three days from now, wouldn't we become a laughing stock?"

The Shimonoseki Strait, also known as the Mashin Strait, is the waterway between the western tip of Honshu Island and the northern tip of Kyushu Island in Japan. It serves as the western gateway to the Seto Inland Sea and is a crucial sea and land transportation route for western Japan.

The Choshu Domain is located near the Shimonoseki Strait, which allows them to collect a large amount of customs revenue from it every year.

On the surface, the total rice yield of the Choshu Domain was 36.9, and its territory and grain production were not particularly outstanding.

As a result, it amassed a fortune through customs revenue from the Shimonoseki Strait, making it the wealthiest of all the feudal domains!

At the same time, precisely because of its strategic location, a large number of Western ships have passed through the Shimonoseki Strait every day since Japan opened its doors to the world.

No sooner had Genzui Kusaka finished speaking than Shinsaku Takasugi sternly retorted:

"No!"

"Hisaka, how many times have I told you?"

"Expelling the barbarians is our means, not our goal!"

“Our primary goal is to use the pretext of ‘expelling the barbarians’ to suppress the shogunate, drag it into trouble, weaken its power, and we will remain unscathed.”

"Even if we take a hundred steps back, if we want to expel the barbarians, it is definitely not now."

"We are still no match for the Western barbarians."

"In short, no matter how the shogunate reacts on May 10th, three days from now, we must not be the first to launch a war to expel foreigners!"

"If we arbitrarily get involved in the war to expel the barbarians, we will fall into an extremely unfavorable and predicament!"

As soon as Takasugi Shinsaku finished speaking, Hisaka Genzui glanced at him coldly.