Chapter 187 The Meiji Restoration of Japan (27)
When Katsu Kaishu resigned, Sakamoto Ryoma was unhappy and said: My mentor devoted himself to serving the country, but he failed because of it, which was unexpected!
Sheng Haizhou said: This body is insignificant, so it doesn't matter if you fail! Only those who are worried, where will our country go? If the barbarians invade, you and I can draw our swords and fight to the death; but for all living beings, guarding the border and defending the country is a matter for the shogunate! This is what worries me! When the time is right, I will report it to the General. Unless the great government is returned to the imperial court, this dilemma cannot be solved.
Sakamoto Ryoma said: The Tokugawa shogunate has been in power for more than two hundred years, and its roots are deep and solid! This work is very dangerous, and the student thinks that the teacher should take the best approach.
Sheng Haizhou said: I have nothing to gain and nothing to focus on; I stand still and wait for the best opportunity. Mr. Yoshiki Hitotsubashi's killing spree was decisive. The Kobe Naval Drill Station has been closed, and a large part of the sea area has been empty. It is very dangerous here, so I and the trainees from the Drill Station rushed to Satsuma Domain for temporary shelter. The students in the training center are all people who have escaped from the feudal clan. They are alone and helpless, and they have to be cared for by Mr. Sakamoto.
Sakamoto Ryoma said: Now that things have come to this, I will follow my teacher's instructions.
On December 2, 1864, Sakamoto Ryoma and his party of more than 200 people arrived in Kagoshima, and were warmly received by Saigo Takamori, Okubo Toshimichi and others.
Sakamoto Ryoma said: "Everyone in the world thinks that a country in chaos can be saved by joining forces with the public and the military, or by overthrowing the king and fighting the barbarians." What do you think?
Okubo Tori Passage: At the beginning of the year, when the shogunate saw his post, Yoshihiro Ichihashi angrily cursed at my lord, Lord Matsudaira Keinaga of the Fukui Domain, and Date Mune Seihaji, the Lord of the Uwajima Domain. The public and military divisions have already broken!
Sakamoto Ryoma said: Since the public and military affairs have broken up, now we can only respect the king and suppress the curtain! The shogunate is powerful and cannot be taken lightly. There are more than 200 of us, all of whom have escaped from the feudal clan. We have a big tree that attracts the wind. Tomorrow, we will go to Nagasaki to set up a Kameyama trading company and resell barbarian goods to make a living. By then, the feudal clan will be in short supply of food and the feudal clan will urgently need guns. The supply of guns must be open.
Saigo Takamori said: I will report to the lord and help Mr. Sakamoto form a society. Respecting the king suppresses the curtain, and the sound is like a gossamer. Why doesn't Mr. Sakamoto respect the king and suppress the curtain?
Sakamoto Ryoma said: There is no world of difference between falling and suppressing, as long as it can achieve the goal we are diligently pursuing, that's all. My master is better than Master Haizhou, and I am determined to persuade the general to return the great power. Although the general is a small man, he has a thorough understanding of affairs and can judge the situation. The year before last, Britain, France, the United States, and the Netherlands were bombarding Choshu Shimonoseki. I followed Lord Katsu as a mediator and got acquainted with Kido Takayoshi, Takasugi Shinsaku, Ito Hirobumi, etc. If the noble clan wanted to interact with the Choshu clan, I would be the matchmaker.
Xixiang Takamori said: Ichibashi is good at dancing and has an unparalleled understanding. To say that he returns the great government is tantamount to seeking the skin of a tiger! In the current situation, there is no alternative but the fall of King Zun; when it comes to making things happen, everything must be prepared; it is difficult for a feudal clan to succeed, so it is necessary to form an alliance with the Fukui, Higo, Choshu, Fukuoka, Tottori, and Tosa feudal clans. When the time comes, It must be troublesome.
Okubo Tori Channel: The lord of the Fukui clan is a close lord of the clan, and the lord of the Tosa clan is dedicated to the cause. Higo, Fukuoka, Tottori and other clans are small and weak, so we can't expect it. Only the Choshu clan can still be counted on. However, in this troubled autumn, Kido Takayoshi, Takasugi Shinsaku, Inoue Kaoru, Ito Hirobumi, etc. all disappeared.
Xixiang Longsheng said: "The trapped beast is still fighting, how can the tiger be brave and the lofty ideals!" Takasugi Shinsaku, Kido Takayoshi and other people who regard death as a homecoming will definitely not sit back and wait for death!
It is said that Takasugi Shinsaku escaped to Chikuzen Domain and hid in a woman's house. He drank wine and ate meat every day, which was quite happy.
Half a month passed, and the woman was stunned and said, "I heard that you are drunk and lying on the lap of a beautiful woman, and you are awake and holding the power of the world. Is it true?" I am a woman who only knows that in Lu Sheng's dream, the yellow beams are still steaming!
Takasugi Shinsaku was so ashamed that he sneaked back to the Choshu Domain that day and raised his arms at Kōzanji Temple. Unexpected people came in droves. Ito Hirobumi and Yamagami's friends heard about it and immediately led the rikishi team and the special force team to help.
Takasugi Shinsaku whispered to Ito Hirobumi and Yamagata Aritomo: Although the rebels are numerous, they are all in disarray and will be scattered in the battle. Can the strange army and the rikishi team still fight?
Ito Hirobumi said: Muri is going against the trend, the soldiers are furious, and they all hope for your return!
Takasugi Shinzuo said: "We are all men from Changzhou. Today we march into Oicheng to hunt down the traitorous traitor, kill Mingli, welcome the lord, and then bring down the curtain!"
Takasugi Jinzuo's troops came, and Mikiri Tota led two thousand feudal soldiers to fight. As soon as they took over the battle, the rebels fled in all directions; Mikiri Tota couldn't help but be happy.
That night, Takasugi Shinsaku personally led a surprise attack. The feudal army was unprepared and fled in panic. Takasugi Shinsaku took advantage of the chaos to kill Murito Tota and took Ogi City lightly.
The head of the Choshu family, Maori, was crying with joy, but then he thought again and said: Our domain will resume its reign and fall. Within half a year, the shogunate rebels will definitely arrive. Takasugi-kun must make early plans.
Takasugi Jinzuo said: "This is to inform my lord, and my subordinates will immediately organize their troops and horses, contact the Sa vassal, and purchase barbarian weapons in case of urgent need."
Maori Jingqin said: Where is Kido Takayun-kun now?
Takasugi Shinsaku said: Lord, something happened at the forbidden gate. Kido-kun is also wanted by the shogunate. When I heard that he had left the capital, my subordinates immediately sent people to look for him!
Two months later, Kido Takayun, the former government secretary, returned to Choshu together with Masujiro Masujiro of Zhou Fangguo Township Medical University.
The people of Changzhou are all happy when a long drought brings sweet rain.
The head of the Choshu family, Mouri, said: "Kyoto-kun changed his mind about the Forbidden Gate incident. Kido-kun risked his life to petition, which is so touching!"
Kido Takayoshi said: "I am reporting to the head of the family, although I have said that I have to obey my authority in urgent matters, it is all in vain. At that time, Prince Qikawa Palace and His Majesty the Emperor were both shocked by the artillery fire and could not care less about their arguments!" There is no benefit to fishing for the moon in the water. The subordinates have thought over and over again that what our vassal is in urgent need of are strong soldiers and generals. Mr. Omura Masujiro is well versed in military strategy, and I sincerely ask the lord to put him to good use.
Maori Jingqin said: Soldiers are a major event for the country. What does Mr. Omura think?
Omura Masujiro said: Lord, the one who carries the greatest punishment is the soldier! Soldiers are an important tool for governing a country and a barrier for a vassal state!
Maori Jingqin said: Within half a year, the shogunate's bandit army will definitely invade the territory. Lord Omura can find ways to defend against the enemy.
Omura Masujiro said: "Your Majesty, the military system of the shogunate is that the shogunate's daimyo leads his own samurai and local warriors to shout and charge. This has not changed in the past three hundred years." The subordinates observe carefully that the soldiers of the Yi people are not the private weapons of the generals; the generals of the Yi people are not hereditary and can be replaced. Soldiers are not the private weapons of generals, and everyone must work hard; generals are not hereditary and cannot be replaced, and those who have both ability and political integrity are left to their own devices. My lord has learned clearly that the only way for my domain to defeat the Imperial Army is to change the army and system.
Mao Li said respectfully: "Of course!" Immediately pass on my order, Omura Masujiro is the general manager of the military system, assisting Kido and Takasugi to form a new army and prepare for war!
The Shoshu shogun Tokugawa Iemo was very angry when the Choshu domain was restored. He ordered Tokugawa Shigetori, the lord of the former Kii domain, to be the vanguard governor of the expedition, and to gather 100,000 troops for another crusade.
