I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Interesting? What makes you say that?"

Saigo Kinosuke slowly said:

"I have met countless people, including many outstanding talents."

“Whenever they discuss world affairs, they always talk about ‘Satsuma’ or ‘Chōshū’, only considering their own domains.”

“But you are different. You always talk about ‘Japan’ and you consider things entirely from ‘Japan’s’ perspective.”

"People like you are truly rare and quite interesting."

Although the word "Japan" had appeared in ancient books, due to the long period of division, the general public only had the shogunate, the imperial court, and the various domains in their eyes, not "Japan".

Sakamoto Ryoma listened and smiled calmly:

"I think I've heard similar comments before."

"To be honest, I have no lofty ambitions."

"I simply hope that everyone in the world can live a happy life."

……

……

Meeting Room

"Mr. Katsura! Don't just stand there! Mr. Saigo too! Come over here!"

The group returned to the conference room.

Sakamoto Ryoma stood in the center of the room, gesturing for the leaders of both sides to come forward.

Katsura Kogoro stepped forward with a complicated expression... and Saigo Kichinosuke did the same.

After incorporating Sakamoto Ryoma's suggestions and going through several rounds of "relay communication," the two sides finally reached a consensus—Saigo Kichinosuke agreed to the five treaties proposed by Katsura Kogoro, and the two sides fought together for the Emperor! For the future of Japan!

Finally... the "Sara-Changchun Alliance" is no longer a pipe dream! It has become a reality!

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Chapter 1094 The Emperor and Crown Prince are Dead! An Impersonator of the Emperor! [5200]

An eerie atmosphere is spreading...

Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke stood on the east and west sides of the room, respectively, staring at each other expressionlessly.

The warriors behind them all wore stern faces, their cheeks filled with complex emotions, some with gloomy expressions and clenched teeth.

Even now, many people still feel deeply dissatisfied with the "alliance".

Can the hatred that has accumulated over time be resolved with just a few words?

However, their beloved supreme leader has made a firm decision to unite Satsuma and Choshu in order to fight against the shogunate.

Therefore, even if they have a hundred complaints, they really cannot say anything.

Amidst the solemnity, Sakamoto Ryoma clapped his hands twice forcefully, dispelling the heavy atmosphere with laughter.

"From now on, we are allies who share weal and woe! So stop putting on that icy facade!"

As he spoke, he spread his arms wide and grabbed Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke by the shoulders with one hand, like an eagle catching chicks, pulling them together and physically closing the distance between them until they were almost touching noses.

"Mr. Katsura, Mr. Saigo, please shake hands! This will serve as a symbol of reconciliation between the two domains!"

Katsura Kogoro looked puzzled:

"'shake hands'?"

Saigo Kinosuke lowered his head, looking at his palms with a puzzled expression:

What is a 'handshake'?

Sakamoto Ryoma chuckled:

"This is Western etiquette! Shaking hands firmly shows closeness and friendliness! I really like handshakes! Because it makes us seem intimate!"

After saying that, Sakamoto Ryoma directly provided guidance by grabbing the right wrists of Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke respectively, making the two large hands clasp together.

Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke, bewildered, could only follow Sakamoto Ryoma's instructions with blank expressions.

"Alright! Next up is the 'cheek kiss'!"

Katsura Kogoro's face changed color:

"Apply...apply?"

Although he didn't know what "cheek kiss" was, the name alone made him feel uneasy.

Saigo Kinosuke's expression also changed:

"No need for face masks! They're disgusting!"

Sakamoto Ryoma said with a serious expression:

"This is a formal Western etiquette! When Westerners greet each other, they will press their face against the other person's face!"

Katsura Kogoro: "Using cheek to cheek to greet someone... Westerners are truly shameless!"

Saigo Kichinosuke: "We are Japanese, and we do not need to follow Western etiquette."

Sakamoto Ryoma laughed heartily:

"Stop being so sentimental! This is a great reconciliation between Sa and Cho! It should be commemorated and celebrated in a special way!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately took action, placing his left and right hands on the backs of Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke respectively, and with a little force, made them "bump" into each other.

Thus, the two embraced, their heads close together, their cheeks almost touching.

Both Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke are tough guys with unwavering wills; they wouldn't even blink if someone held a knife to their necks.

At this moment, they were all stunned, their expressions stiff, their faces full of embarrassment, and they were extremely awkward.

They instinctively tried to separate, but Sakamoto Ryoma firmly held them down by the back, preventing them from escaping easily.

Sakamoto Ryoma was a rare swordsmanship genius who won the Edo swordsmanship tournament. In terms of arm strength alone, no one present could match him.

This comical scene enlivened the atmosphere in the room, and everyone present couldn't help but chuckle.

Sakamoto Ryoma smiled happily:

"That's right! That's exactly how allies should be!"

……

……

Under the auspices of Ryoma Sakamoto, the "alliance ceremony" concluded in a joyful atmosphere.

After asking everyone to wait a moment, Katsura Kogoro and Saigo Kinosuke moved to a secluded corner of the corridor and began a private meeting.

"Mr. Saigo, I'll be relying on you for guidance from now on."

Upon hearing this, Saigo Kichinosuke let out two strange laughs.

"Mr. Saigo, what's wrong? Why are you laughing?"

Saigo Kinosuke said quietly:

“We just did such intimate things, and now hearing you say this to me... it feels like we’re married.”

Katsura Kogoro paused for a moment, then snapped at him irritably:

"Mr. Saigo, Ryoma is one thing, but how can you make such a subtle joke?"

Saigo Kinosuke laughed a few times:

"Okay, enough joking, let's talk about something serious."

"Perhaps it was fate. At this critical juncture where every move affects the whole situation, the Emishi in the north rebelled, and Tachibana Seito had no choice but to lead his troops north to quell the rebellion."

"We must seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop our strength and accumulate power."

Katsura Kogoro nodded slightly in agreement:

“Mr. Saigo, we should next try to win over the Tosa Domain and the Hizen Domain.”

"Especially the latter, if Hizen were to help them, it would be like gaining a million soldiers."

Kichinosuke Saigo added:

“And the 'Northern Shogunate'.”

"Although the 'Northern Shogunate' was weak, it still had the name 'Shogunate' no matter what."

"If used properly, it has great potential!"

"Once we win over the 'Northern Shogunate,' we'll simultaneously possess both the Emperor and the Shogun! The great cause is in our hands!"

Katsura Kogoro nodded again:

"That's right, we should try to win over everyone we can."

After Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu fled to the Fukui Domain, the Edo Shogunate fell into division.

Since they had already broken off all pretense of civility, Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu and his cronies were too lazy to hide anything anymore. They simply decided to go all out and establish a separate shogunate.

Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu changed his name to Tokugawa Yoshinobu and called himself the 15th Shogun.

From any perspective, Tokugawa Yoshinobu's usurpation was illegitimate.

Based on this, the "Southern Shogunate" led by Tachibana Seito was so powerful, and the Mito Domain, which has been swept into the dustbin of history, serves as a bloody warning.

Therefore, to this day, the vast majority of feudal states regard the "Southern Shogunate" as the legitimate dynasty and denounce the "Northern Shogunate" as a "false dynasty".

But in the end, the concept of "orthodoxy" is nothing more than a political game.

To decide which shogunate is the legitimate one is simply a matter of saying one word!

After winning over Tokugawa Yoshinobu, Satsuma and Choshu could then recognize him as the legitimate ruler and launch an attack on Tachibana Aoto under the pretext of "fighting against treacherous officials and supporting the shogunate"!

There's never too much of a "pretext for sending troops," and any more righteous cause to criticize Tachibana Seito would be even better.