I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

While traveling with a male friend, you unexpectedly run into four or five female friends you know and greet them one by one. As a result, your male friend next to you teases you, "So you're the type with few friends but many wives?" — This kind of scenario is also a real thing.

If I ever have the chance, I definitely want to bring this romantic comedy to the screen.

Chapter 1129 Assassination of Sakamoto Ryoma! [5400]

The first year of Kuangtian/the first year of Meiji (1866), November 4st, night——

Kyoto, Kawaramachi, Omiya (Iguchi Shinsuke's Residence), a room on the second floor—

"Achoo!"

Longma, who was bowing his head before the desk, sneezed loudly.

My already throbbing head became even more dizzy.

Suddenly, a thick haori was draped over his back from behind.

"Mr. Sakamoto, please use this."

Sakamoto Ryoma turned his head, smiled, and thanked the young man who had handed him the haori:

"Thank you, Fengji. Phew... It's so cold tonight."

As he spoke, he tucked the haori (feathered garment) tightly inside.

The young man called "Feng Ji" smiled.

“Mr. Sakamoto, since you are sick, you should rest in bed. Your body is still very weak and you need to rest.”

Yesterday, Sakamoto Ryoma unfortunately caught a cold and developed a high fever, only managing to recover his energy this evening.

Sakamoto Ryoma forced a helpless expression:

"I also want to rest, but I have important matters to attend to."

Upon hearing this, Minekichi subconsciously turned his gaze to the table in front of Sakamoto Ryoma.

To be precise, it was looking at a piece of paper placed on the table.

Since yesterday, Sakamoto Ryoma has been locking himself in his room, carefully recuperating while meticulously writing something on this piece of paper.

"I understand. In that case, I won't bother you any longer."

Minekichi bowed slightly to Sakamoto Ryoma and slowly withdrew.

Just then, Sakamoto Ryoma suddenly remembered something and hurriedly called out to Minekichi's retreating figure:

"Oh, right, I almost forgot to mention. Minekichi, Shintaro will be visiting later. Please be careful in receiving him. When he arrives, bring him here."

"Shintaro? Mr. Nakaoka?"

"Yes, that's him."

"I understand."

After finishing speaking, Minekichi bowed to Sakamoto Ryoma again.

After watching Minekichi leave, Sakamoto Ryoma lowered his head again and looked at the paper on the table.

The paper was covered with a dense array of personal names.

Looking at these names, a satisfied look spread across Sakamoto Ryoma's face.

He hummed a little tune and continued writing name after name on the paper with great enthusiasm.

……

……

The Omiya restaurant where Sakamoto Ryoma is currently hiding is a soy sauce shop.

As the name suggests, this is a shop that specializes in making and selling soy sauce.

Aside from Teradaya, where Otose and Oryu lived, this Omiya was Sakamoto Ryoma's most frequently used hiding place in Kyoto.

Just as Feng Ji and the other staff were packing up their equipment on the first floor, preparing to close—

Boom, boom, boom.

Three knocks suddenly came from outside the shop door.

Feng Ji and the others exchanged glances, all showing wary expressions.

Minekichi went down to Tsuchima and said in an apologetic tone:

"Sorry, we're closed."

The person outside the door remained unmoved and said softly:

"I am Shintaro Nakaoka."

Upon hearing this name, Feng Ji's expression hardened, and he immediately reached out and opened the shop door.

As soon as the door opened, Shintaro Nakaoka slipped inside like an eel.

Upon seeing Feng Ji, he unfastened the sword from his waist and asked him directly:

"Minekichi, where's Ryoma?"

Feng Ji gestured "please" towards the stairs.

"Mr. Nakaoka, please come with me."

Led by Minekichi, Nakaoka Shintaro hurried up to the second floor and entered Sakamoto Ryoma's room.

Upon seeing Nakaoka Shintaro finally appear, Sakamoto Ryoma immediately put down his calligraphy brush, stood up with a beaming smile, and greeted him.

"Oh! Shintaro! I've been waiting for you for ages! Tonight has been awful! Not only is it freezing cold, but it's also raining!"

The weather isn't very good tonight.

After nightfall, a light, misty rain began to fall outside, and the sound of rain outside the window never stopped.

Shintaro Nakaoka nodded slightly and gave a brief greeting.

"Ryoma, I heard you were sick. Are you alright?"

"It's nothing, just a slight cold. Get a good night's sleep tonight and you'll be fine tomorrow."

During their conversation, Feng Ji quietly withdrew, leaving a private space for the two to talk.

"Come, Shintaro, have a seat."

Sakamoto Ryoma waved to Nakaoka Shintaro.

The two sat facing each other in the center of the room.

Shintaro Nakaoka carefully placed his sword at his right side, straightened his legs, and stood with a solemn expression.

"Ryoma, why did you suddenly summon me here? You've been avoiding me and disliking me all this time, but tonight you've taken the initiative to contact me."

Shintaro Nakaoka's plan to "repeatedly harass Ryoma Sakamoto to change his mind" did not work, but it did exhaust Ryoma.

Recently, Sakamoto Ryoma has been avoiding Nakaoka Shintaro as if he were a plague carrier, constantly changing his hiding place.

"I just want to convince you to agree with my ideas before I meet with Tachibana Aoto."

Shintaro Nakaoka frowned:

"Ryoma, you're spouting this nonsense again. How could Tachibana Aoto possibly want to meet with you..."

Before Shintaro Nakaoka could finish speaking, Ryoma Sakamoto interrupted him, saying:

"Thanks to Yamanami-kun's matchmaking, I have made an appointment with Tachibana Aoto, and I will meet him in Otsu tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Shintaro Nakaoka's eyes widened in shock.

"W-What?! Ryoma, you're not kidding me, are you? You're really going to meet with Tachibana Aoto?"

"That's right, I'll set off for Otsu first thing tomorrow morning."

While Nakaoka Shintaro was in a daze, Sakamoto Ryoma pulled the piece of paper that was laid out on the table.

"Shintaro, take a look at this. This is a list that I have painstakingly compiled recently."

Sakamoto Ryoma handed the paper to Nakaoka Shintaro.

Shintaro Nakaoka blankly reached out and took it, but his expression changed after just one glance, and his already slightly furrowed brows furrowed even more.

"What is this? What's with these names?"

Sakamoto Ryoma smiled slightly:

"These are the key ministers I plan to recommend after the new government is formed. Once the North and South are united, I hope the new government can use this list as a reference to select the pillars to support the new era."

Upon hearing this, Shintaro Nakaoka quickly lowered his head, squinted his eyes, and carefully counted each name written on the paper.

If you don't look at it, fine, but once you do, you can't help but be shocked, and the more you look, the more alarmed you become.

The list included the names of important officials from both the Southern and Northern Dynasties, with each side's names roughly equal in number.

Shintaro Nakaoka tossed the list aside with a puzzled look on his face.

"Ryoma, I really don't understand you anymore! What exactly are you trying to do? First you advised Saigo-san to 'promote peace through war,' and now you've written this inexplicable list!"

Faced with Shintaro Nakaoka's stern questioning, Ryoma Sakamoto did not respond immediately, but instead said something completely out of the blue:

I'm hungry.

He jumped up, went straight outside, and shouted downstairs:

"Fengji! Go buy a chicken!"

Feng Ji's reply came immediately from downstairs:

"Chicken?"

"That's right! Buy a fatter one! I want to have chicken hot pot!"

"I understand! I'll be right back!"

After giving his instructions, Sakamoto Ryoma sat back down in front of Nakaoka Shintaro.

"Shintaro, once the chicken arrives, let's enjoy a chicken hot pot while we pass the long night."

When he mentioned the phrase "the long night," he deliberately adopted a joking tone.