I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

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PS: Following the "Ikedaya Incident" came the "Kinmon Incident"—Chōshū launched an eastern expedition to attack the capital region—these two incidents were linked, with the former being the trigger for the latter.

Chapter 836: Instantly kill Hannya's Otakemaru! 【5000】

Changzhou, Matsushita Village School——

Looking up, all I saw was a deathly stillness, with a gloomy atmosphere permeating the air.

Back in the day, this was where Yoshida Shoin taught.

Takasugi Shinsaku, Hisaka Genzui, Katsura Kogoro, Yoshida Toshima... these now prominent figures were all students of this village school.

After Ii Naosuke was involved in the Ansei Purge, Yoshida Shoin was arrested and beheaded due to his numerous prior convictions.

With the death of Yoshida Shōin, the former classmates of Shōka Sōjuku gradually fell apart due to their differing beliefs.

Over time, this once bustling village school gradually became deserted.

Although it remains the same as it was, it is deserted and has become like a haunted house.

Only very occasionally do the students who once studied together under this roof return to this place, either to reminisce or... to argue.

At this moment, melodious music drifted from inside the village school.

Shinsaku Takasugi, with his shamisen in his arms, crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and casually played a tune.

Opposite him sat Katsura Kogoro, who was sitting upright.

Katsura Kogoro had a stern face and an unfriendly expression.

He stared intently at Shinsaku Takasugi, forcing out the words through clenched teeth:

"Mr. Takasugi, why did you remain silent just now?"

They discussed matters concerning the eastern expedition—this had happened an hour ago.

Despite being outnumbered and outmatched, Katsura Kogoro still argued his case and tried to prevent the war from happening.

His point of view is very clear: even if a battle with the pro-shogunate faction is inevitable, it will definitely not be now!

From any perspective, the conditions for a decisive battle with the pro-shogunate faction are not present at present.

Changju still bears the infamy of being an "enemy of the court."

Choshu could only fabricate reasons to attack the pro-shogunate faction.

The pro-shogunate faction didn't need to go to such great lengths to attack Choshu; they could simply raise the banner of "punishing the enemy of the court."

Once the banner of "punishing the enemy of the court" is raised, many daimyo will surely gather to respond.

Although they mostly just go through the motions without putting in any real effort, they still have the audacity, and a great deal of audacity, to send troops to bolster their image and demonstrate their loyalty.

The pro-shogunate faction held the moral high ground—this alone was enough to make Choshu unable to resist.

Katsura Kogoro was practically begging Kusaka Genzui on his knees.

Even so, Kusaka Genzui remained unmoved and resolutely issued the order to "issue a mobilization order and prepare for the eastern expedition."

"That's it, Lord Mori," Mori Yoshichika said, as always, completely lacking in his own opinions. He agreed to whatever his ministers said, taking the practice of shirking responsibility to the extreme.

Thus, the decision was made—to launch an eastern expedition to the capital region! To subdue Qin Huisa!

Those who advocated "Eastern Expedition", "annihilation of Qin Huisa", and "divine punishment of Ju Qingdeng" were all overjoyed.

The battle hasn't even started yet, but they're already acting like they're returning in triumph.

On the other hand, Katsura Kogoro seemed to have lost his soul.

He stood frozen in place, expressionless.

Even after the meeting had ended and Mori Yoshichika, Kusaka Genzui, and others had left, he remained sitting motionless in the same spot.

Just as Takasugi Shinsaku was about to leave, he finally made a move.

He strode up to Takasugi Shinsaku, who had remained silent throughout the meeting, and coldly announced: Come to Matsushita Shonjuku!

That's how the scene of "the two meeting at the Songxia Village School" came about.

"Takasugi-kun, I really don't understand you!"

Katsura Kogoro became more and more excited as he spoke.

He propped himself up, bracing his arms on the tatami mat, and leaned forward, his breath almost hitting the other person's face.

"Takasugi-kun, if you had spoken up just now, you might have been able to dissuade Hisaka-kun!"

At the same moment that Katsura Kogoro finished speaking, the music stopped.

Shinsaku Takasugi stopped playing, raised his eyes, and their eyes met.

His gaze was half contempt and half self-mockery.

"'Dissuade Kusaka-kun'? Me?"

"Katsura, you overestimate me and underestimate Hisaka."

"I broke off relations with Kusaka a long time ago."

"No matter how deep our friendship was before, it cannot change the fact that we now loathe each other."

"If I had spoken up just now, I'm afraid I would not only have failed to dissuade Hisaka, but would have further deepened the conflict and worsened the situation."

"Besides, I am not a particularly eloquent person, and I do not have the silver tongue to persuade Kusaka."

"Kusaka is not the kind of person who would easily change his mind or will because of a few words from others."

"To put it bluntly, Hisaka has become a demon."

"Do you have a way to persuade a gambler who has gone completely mad to stop gambling and give up in time?"

"Even if Kusaka wants to leave the gambling table, the people behind him, such as Kijima Matabei and Maki Yasomi, will not let him have his way!"

After rattling off these words in one breath like a machine gun, Shinsaku Takasugi gasped for breath, his cheeks flushed with excitement.

Katsura Kogoro pursed his lips tightly.

He seemed to want to say something to refute the other person.

It can open and close its mouth several times.

It's easy to see that he was at a loss for words... Even if he wanted to refute the other party, he couldn't think of suitable words.

Before he could speak, Shinsaku Takasugi continued quietly:

"Gui, now that things have come to this, I'll be frank with you."

"To be honest, I don't think the 'Eastern Expedition' was entirely a bad thing."

"You should also know the proverb from Tang Dynasty China—'A loss may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.'"

"'Fortune' and 'misfortune' are essentially twins."

What seems like a 'misfortune' might actually be a 'joy'.

At this point, Shinsaku Takasugi lowered his head slightly.

A dark shadow cleverly concealed its face, making it impossible to discern its expression.

“The radicals, led by Hisaka, have taken control of the entire domain.”

"Changzhou today has clearly fallen into a situation of 'no destruction, no construction'."

"The time is not yet ripe; it is far from the time to fight a decisive battle with the pro-shogunate faction."

"If we rashly launch an eastern expedition now, we will most likely be defeated and routed."

"Although there will be heavy casualties, this might make Hisaka and the others realize the truth."

"In this way, Changzhou can be reborn and freed from its current arrogant and immoral state!"

"Or to put it more directly... if all of Hisaka and the others had died in this Eastern Expedition, it would have had the same effect!"

"It might even be more effective!"

Before Takasugi Shinsaku could finish speaking, Katsura Kogoro's eyes widened.

His eyes were wide open like copper bells, his eyeballs looking as if they might pop out of their sockets at any moment.

His mouth was slightly open, his face was pale, and his expression was full of disbelief—he couldn't believe that these words would come from his classmate!

Before Takasugi Shinsaku could finish speaking, Katsura Kogoro leaped out, pounced on his opponent, grabbed his collar, and pinned him to the ground.

With a thud, Takasugi Shinsaku's back made intimate contact with the tatami mat, and the shamisen in his hand was released and rolled to the side.

"Shinsaku Takasugi! Are you insane?!"

Katsura Kogoro raised his eyebrows and called out his name directly, his expression dominated by intense excitement and indignation.

"How can you say such a thing so casually?!"

"Isn't Kusaka one of our comrades?!"

"He was not only our comrade-in-arms, but also our former classmate!"

"Have you forgotten the time we spent studying together under Professor Yoshida?!"

"Are you just going to stand by and watch him go to his death?!"

"Did we study together and practice swordsmanship together back then, only to end up fighting amongst ourselves like this now?!"

Katsura Kogoro's voice gradually rose in pitch.

In the end, he almost shouted it out.

Takasugi Shinsaku, who was pinned below, stared coldly at Katsura Kogoro without even raising an eyebrow.

After Katsura Kogoro finished speaking, he slowly and deliberately said:

"Gui, you've got a lot to say..."

"Then tell me, what other way is there to save Choshu from its current predicament while preserving the friendship between classmates and the lives of Hisaka and the others?!"