I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Orochi noticed the unusual expressions on the two's faces, so he changed to a half-joking tone:

"Katsura-kun, Takasugi-kun, now that things have come to this, don't tell me you've gone back on your word and aren't willing to fight alongside us to the end."

Shinsaku Takasugi grinned:

"How could that be? Since we've decided to make a scene with you, we can only go all the way! Either we find our way to success, or we crash into a brick wall!"

Upon hearing this, Katsura Kogoro's expression became complicated and difficult to describe.

To say that a plan is bold... well, that's another way of saying it is risky!

The "Amanuma Spear" operation plan was bold and risky, and a single misstep could lead to a tragic and irreversible end, but it was their only hope of stopping the advance of the Shogunate army and preserving Choshu.

Therefore, despite their many concerns, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and resolutely join the "Heavenly Spear" action plan.

Now that things have come to this, there is no room for them to regret or back out.

Whether we live or die, whether we win or lose, it's all up to fate!

At that very moment, very suddenly, the Yamata no Orochi, who had been perfectly fine just a second ago, suddenly opened its eyes wide and its expression changed drastically.

Immediately afterwards—

"Cough, cough cough cough cough cough! Cough cough cough cough cough cough!!"

A violent cough that felt like he was about to vomit his lungs out.

The Yamata no Orochi coughed violently as its legs went limp, and it braced itself on the ground with its hands.

Accompanied by a series of coughs, his forehead was covered in a lot of cold sweat, and his cheeks were as pale as paper.

Upon seeing this, the ox-demon and the wet woman nearby immediately changed their expressions and hurriedly bent down. The ox-demon helped the eight-headed serpent, while the wet woman took a bamboo tube from her waist.

"Lord Orochi! Please have some water!"

With one hand, the wet woman gently cupped the chin of the eight-headed serpent, while with the other hand, she slowly poured water from a bamboo tube into its mouth.

The strange behavior of the Yamata no Orochi startled everyone present.

However, Mael merely raised an eyebrow and returned to normal, appearing unfazed. He didn't offer any help, simply standing there silently watching as the Wet Woman fed water to the Yamata no Orochi.

Katsura and Takasugi were both very confused.

Takasugi Shinsaku couldn't help but ask:

"Hey, big snake, what's wrong with you?"

After drinking the water handed to him by the Wet Woman, Orochi's condition improved considerably, and his cough gradually stopped.

However, his complexion remained unsightly, as pale as paper.

"I...I'm fine..."

After coughing, Yamata no Orochi's voice suddenly became extremely hoarse, as if it had aged considerably, much like that of a frail old man.

It was as if there was extremely thick phlegm stuck in his throat, and when he spoke, he would make a hoarse "hoarse" sound.

"I'm sorry, you must have found this amusing."

He said this with a wry, apologetic smile.

"This is an old problem of mine."

“Whenever the illness strikes, it is just as you have seen: my limbs become weak, I feel powerless all over, and I cough until my chest hurts.”

After hearing this, Katsura Kogoro frowned and said:

"I know a very skilled doctor. Would you like me to introduce you?"

Orochi smiled and waved his hand.

"Haha, no need. I've already seen countless doctors, and they all say that my condition is incurable, so there's no need to waste time."

He was laughing. His laughter was filled with nonchalance and fearlessness.

However, the Ox-Demon and the Wet Woman beside him showed sad expressions.

Ru Nu bit her lip tightly, looking as if she was about to cry.

Shinsaku Takasugi murmured softly:

"No cure...cough...is it 'blood cough'?"

Hemoptysis—an incurable disease in the Edo period.

Patients suffering from this disease will cough incessantly, and because they cough up blood, it is called "blood cough" or "red terminal illness".

There is currently no effective cure for this disease.

In other words, those who unfortunately contract this disease basically have only one fate: to cough themselves to death!

In modern times, this disease has a well-known name—tuberculosis.

*******

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

Another 6,000 words today! Readers with monthly tickets, please be sure to vote for this book! (Crying leopard head.jpg)

P.S.: Some readers might have forgotten, so let me remind you: Mael is Elodie's father. To be honest, even I, Leopard, forgot Elodie's dad's name... (Leopard coward.jpg)

Chapter 896 The whereabouts of Kikuichimonji Norimune, the "Chōshū Conquest" begins! [6000]

Orochi shook its head.

No, it's not 'blood cough'.

“I have never coughed up blood, so it couldn’t be ‘blood cough’.”

"Even the doctors can't say for sure what the specific illness is."

"They said it was due to overwork."

"So be it, death is nothing to fear."

"Because I know I have a terminal illness, every extra day I live feels like a bonus, which adds a strange kind of joy, hahaha!"

After saying that, he laughed heartily with a calm expression.

There was no fear of death in their laughter.

Looking at the serpent Yamata no Orochi laughing so openly, Katsura and Takasugi showed a hint of admiration on their faces.

To be honest, they still couldn't believe that this obese man, who would be out of breath after walking just a few steps, was actually the leader of the Law-Extermination Party...

In their imagination, the leader of the Hoju Party, who commanded countless talented individuals and caused the shogunate endless headaches, should have been a powerful and ruthless figure who could dominate the seas and the heavens.

In fact, even today, they still don't understand the specific reasons why powerful figures like Ōtakemaru and Shuten-dōji followed them so closely.

However, the words Orochi had just spoken, and the behavior he had displayed, made Katsura and Takasugi slightly change their opinion of him.

They had to give high praise to his optimism.

Knowing that he has a terminal illness, he not only shows no fear but also faces it with laughter—this is something not everyone can do.

……

……

Starting from the end of October, the shogunate and the imperial court launched a series of actions.

First, the imperial court once again designated the Mori family as enemies of the court, stripping Mori Yoshichika and his son of their ranks and official positions.

At that time, Mori Yoshichika's rank was Senior Fourth Rank Councilor, Left Imperial Guard Lieutenant General; Mori Sadahiro's rank was Junior Fourth Rank, Left Imperial Guard Major General—now, all of these honorary titles are gone.

The shogunate then revoked the taboo names and titles of Mori Yoshichika and Mori Sadahiro (Mori Yoshichika's son), and abolished their status as daimyo.

As a result, the two changed their names to "Mori Takachika" and "Mori Hirofumi".

[Note: The practice of bestowing a character from one's own name upon a subordinate in samurai society was a way for superiors to establish a master-servant relationship. For example, the character "Ke" in Mori Yoshichika's name comes from the 12th shogun, Tokugawa Ieyoshi, while the character "Sada" in Mori Sadahiro's name comes from the 13th shogun, Tokugawa Iesada.]

From the beginning of the Edo Shogunate, successive heads of the Mori family and their heirs were all granted the titles "Matsudaira Daizen Daibu" and "Matsudaira Nagato no Kami" by the Tokugawa family, which were a symbol of status.

Now, these honors have been confiscated, and he can no longer be called Matsudaira; he can only be called Mori Daizen and Mori Nagato.

Furthermore, the Mori family's residences in Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka were confiscated, and the daimyo and their retainers were forbidden from leaving the domain.

There was a popular periodical called "Wu Jian," which was like a current affairs magazine today, allowing ordinary people to understand political developments.

After the Mori clan was labeled as an enemy of the Korean government, all reports and news about the Mori clan were deleted.

Anyone could see that this was the shogunate building momentum for the "Chōshū Conquest"! They were launching a political attack in advance to belittle and weaken Chōshū to the greatest extent possible.

It's not hard to tell that Tokugawa Iemochi really intended to wipe out the Mori clan!

Otherwise, things wouldn't have come to this.

With the combined efforts of the shogunate and the imperial court, Choshu has been reduced to an enemy of both the imperial court and the shogunate.

Before the battle even began, the Shogunate forces had already gained a moral advantage.

Tokugawa Iemochi truly devoted himself to this war with painstaking effort and meticulous planning.

In fact, the surrender advocacy of the Choshu conservatives was not unfounded.

It must be said that they were quite accurate in recognizing the weakness of the shogunate.

Ever since Tokugawa Iemochi announced the "Chōshū Expedition," a powerful and vocal anti-war faction immediately emerged within the shogunate.

These staunch anti-war advocates all stated: "War is a matter of vital importance to the state; it is a matter of life and death, a road to survival or ruin. It is imperative to examine it carefully!"

We can't go to war! War is both time-consuming and expensive!

It's really not worth the trouble and expense to deal with such a small place as Changzhou.

If you want to subdue Changzhou, you can use other methods.

For example, they feigned an attack, creating the appearance of an army besieging the city, and forced Changzhou to surrender.

After the Mori family submitted their surrender document, their fiefdom was symbolically reduced, giving each other a way out and saving face. The matter was thus settled.

In an effort to persuade Tokugawa Iemochi, they all resorted to their literary erudition, quoting classical texts and historical allusions.

From Emperor Yang of Sui's three campaigns against Goguryeo, which exhausted the country's resources, to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's expedition to Korea, which was met with widespread discontent.