I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The meeting place this time was still in Xiaguan.

Ironically, after the time and place of the meeting were set, everyone had a vague premonition that this formal meeting would determine the success or failure of the "Sara-Chang Alliance"!

If it works, then it works.

If that doesn't work, then there's absolutely no chance!

……

……

At this moment, both sides are ready in the meeting room, and all members are present.

Sitting to Sakamoto Ryoma's right were the Satsuma samurai led by Saigo Kinosuke, while to his left were the Choshu samurai led by Katsura Kogoro.

Judging from the status and position of the attendees, both sides have shown great sincerity.

In Choshu, Katsura Kogoro once again led the team.

In addition to Saigo Kinosuke, Komatsu Tateto also arrived from Satsuma, making it a star-studded lineup with two of the "Satsuma Three Heroes" present.

As mediators, Ryoma Sakamoto and Shintaro Nakaoka naturally became the hosts of this meeting.

Unlike last time, there was no serious incident of a "sudden no-show". Both sides arrived at the meeting on time, and the start was smooth.

However, no sooner had Ryoma Sakamoto and Shintaro Nakaoka finished their brief opening remarks than a problem arose on set.

Katsura Kogoro: "..."

Saigo Kyunosuke: "..."

Neither of them spoke, and an eerie silence fell over the room…

Katsura Kogoro stared intently at Saigo Kichinosuke, who was directly opposite him, and the latter stared back straight at him.

Both Satsuma and Choshu remained in a stalemate in silence.

The reason for this situation is obvious at a glance—neither side is willing to back down first.

The Choshu people already harbored resentment towards Satsuma, and for them to speak first would be as if they were asking Satsuma for something, which was not in their dignity.

Satsuma, on the other hand, considered themselves superior to Choshu and believed that Choshu needed their help, so they were unwilling to be the first to speak.

Seeing this, Sakamoto Ryoma clicked his tongue, scratched his messy hair, and muttered helplessly:

"What kind of time is this to be arguing like this..."

Shintaro Nakaoka looked anxious, racking his brains to think of words to ease the tension.

Suddenly, the silence at the scene was broken.

However, the words that broke the silence were not gentle and kind, but rather a furious roar:

"Mr. Gui! Let's go back! This is utter nonsense!"

Upon hearing this, the temperature inside the room suddenly soared.

As if spurred on by this loud shout, the Choshu samurai launched into a series of impassioned speeches.

Someone standing behind Katsura Kogoro suddenly stood up and took over the conversation:

“That’s right! Mr. Katsura! Let’s go back to Hagi Castle (the domain of Choshu)! I can’t join forces with the Satsuma people!”

Another person stood up, glaring angrily at the Satsuma samurai opposite him:

"Damn it! Just being in the same room with Samoans makes me feel nauseous!"

These words were like stirring up a hornet's nest; in an instant, the Satsuma samurai could no longer remain calm.

"What are you barking about, you dogs? Don't you people from Changzhou have the blood of us Samoans on your hands?"

"What? You're not convinced? If you're not convinced, then let's have another fight!"

"Blame it on you Changzhou people for being so incompetent! Unable to win on the battlefield, all you can do is whine and complain like a bunch of whiny women!"

The argument escalated, becoming increasingly heated and violent... showing signs of a potential confrontation.

Shintaro Nakaoka was quite frightened and repeatedly tried to dissuade him:

"Calm down! Please calm down! With a formidable enemy at hand, how can we fight amongst ourselves? Hey! Ryoma! What are you still sitting there for? Come and help!"

Sakamoto Ryoma quickly got up and joined the ranks of those trying to mediate the fight, attempting to defuse the conflict.

"Hey, stop arguing! Quiet down! Just consider it giving me, Sakamoto Ryoma, face!"

It was thanks to Sakamoto Ryoma's strong assistance that Satsuma and Choshu were able to obtain the food and weapons they needed.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, both parties are happy to give him face.

But now, both sides' emotions have been stirred up.

The well-intentioned advice from Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro simply did not reach their ears.

Strangely enough, while everyone was arguing heatedly, the two highest leaders—Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke—both remained silent.

They didn't say a word, their faces expressionless, continuing to stare at each other as if the noise outside had nothing to do with them.

Then, as if pre-arranged, the two shouted simultaneously:

"Shut up, all of you!"

When the supreme leader speaks, the effect is completely different.

In the blink of an eye, silence returned to the scene.

Katsura Kogoro slowly stood up:

"Everyone is very agitated. It seems that this meeting cannot continue. Let's adjourn for now."

He had barely finished speaking when he received a nod of agreement from Saigo Kichinosuke:

"Feel the same."

And so, Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke left the meeting room without the slightest hesitation.

Seeing that the supreme leader had left his seat, the warriors on both sides followed closely behind, filing out in single file—before leaving, they did not forget to glare at each other angrily, their sharp eyes darting through the air.

Before long, only Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro remained in the room... They looked at each other and saw a strong sense of helplessness on each other's faces.

This important meeting, which concerns Japan's future, ended in recess after less than three minutes.

……

……

The rest area for Choshu samurai—

Sakamoto Ryoma sat cross-legged in front of Katsura Kogoro and solemnly inquired:

"Mr. Gui, what exactly are you doing? Why have you remained silent since the meeting started?"

Katsura Kogoro said calmly:

“Our Choshu was attacked by the shogunate and was called a bandit by the imperial court.”

“On the other hand, Satsuma openly associates with the imperial court, acts as an intermediary between the shogunate and feudal lords; Satsuma can do all of these things.”

“People from outside Choshu are not allowed to participate, yet they expect us to bow down and beg from Satsuma. Such behavior violates the code of the samurai and we cannot accept it.”

"Therefore, even if the entire Choshu region is burned to the ground and turned into a wasteland by the shogunate, it doesn't matter!"

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Chapter 1093, Established in Grandeur! [6100]

This statement immediately resonated widely.

Inside, the Choshu samurai were seen venting their emotions one after another:

"That's right! We won't stand for Samo's wrath!"

"You want us to bow down to those traitors? Absolutely not!"

"Sakamoto-kun, you saw it too, didn't you? How arrogant those Satsuma people were!"

Sakamoto Ryoma's head was throbbing from the noise, and he couldn't help but force a bitter expression.

Before Katsura Kogoro could finish speaking, he angrily added:

"In short, the one who has to make concessions first must be Samo! Otherwise, there's no point in continuing this meeting!"

Sakamoto Ryoma took a deep breath and adopted a solemn tone:

“Mr. Gui, if you say such things, Changzhou will perish.”

In the blink of an eye... the instant Sakamoto Ryoma finished speaking, all the Choshu samurai present turned their heads and cast sharp, fierce, and ruthless glances at him.

Someone said sternly:

"Hey, Sakamoto-kun, you can eat whatever you want, but don't say whatever you want!"

Another person interrupted:

"Watch your words! Don't speak recklessly! Changzhou will not perish!"

Another person said:

"Sakamoto-kun, we respect you as a true man! We are also very grateful to you for helping us transport weapons and relieving our urgent crisis, but don't take this for granted! There are some things you can't say carelessly!"

Seeing that he had angered everyone, Shintaro Nakaoka, who was sitting next to Ryoma Sakamoto, quickly tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to apologize.

However, instead of apologizing, Sakamoto Ryoma crossed his arms, straightened his back, and shouted arrogantly:

"It seems I overestimated Changzhou! You are still as arrogant and blind as before, unable to see the changing situation!"

This sentence... even using the idiom "adding fuel to the fire" to describe it seems insufficient and inappropriate.

This isn't just dripping oil into the fire; it's pouring a whole bucket of gasoline directly into the fire!

Sure enough, the moment Sakamoto Ryoma finished speaking, roars erupted from the crowd.

"What did you say?!"