"Uh-well." Shannan Keisuke scratched his head, reluctantly opened his eyes, and sat up from the tatami, "Here... huh?"
He suddenly woke up.
"No? Where is this?"
"You're awake, Senior Brother Shannan." A voice came.
Shannan Keisuke looked towards the source of the sound and found that it was a rather familiar face.
"Are you...Sakamoto?" Shannan looked at Ryoma, feeling a little fragmented?
"No, I remember... wasn't it, committing seppuku?" Shannan was confused. What happened?
"I heard that you wanted to commit seppuku." Ryoma sat next to Shannan, "Samura rescued you. Although I don't know the specific situation, but... you still want to commit suicide now. ?"
Shannan was stunned by this question.
After thinking for a while, he shook his head.
"Yeah, it's better to be alive after all." Ryoma smiled.
"...So where is Zuocun?" Shannan Keisuke avoided this question and asked a question that he was very confused about.
Since General Zuo Cun came out on his own, what about the people from Zuo Cun?
"Samura still has a lot of things to be busy with. He has already left for Kyoto, and we are now... in Tosa."
"Why?"
...
After a period of adaptation, Shannan Keisuke accepted the status quo.
He knew the truth of the matter, and after sighing, he took Ryoma's letter of recommendation and went to the Choshu Domain to start a new life.
Takasugi Shinsaku placed Shannan Keisuke in an administrative position, and planned to wait until Zuocun actually returned, with Shannan Keisuke as Zuocun's deputy, specifically responsible for collecting intelligence and purchasing other things for Zuocun.
Shannan has no objection to this. His life should have ended. Now that he has survived, as long as the work he is doing is legitimate, he will not be picky.
Time passes slowly.
July.
"So, we will take action soon." Zuo Cun looked at the young man in front of him with a smile, "At that time, some things will really need you to handle as the ruler."
Mu Ren looked longingly: "Really..."
He made up his mind to be a good king.
Zuocun said this not out of thin air.
Emperor Xiaomei has reached the end of his strength, and his health is getting worse day by day. I believe it will not take a few years...
He stood up: "I'm leaving, Mutsuhito."
"Mr. Zuocun left very early today." Mu Ren raised his head and glanced at Zuocun.
In fact, it was not only Zuocun, but also other people with lofty ideals who had approached Mu Ren through various channels.
Their names are Taitai Polytong and Saigo Moritaka.
At this time, with the help of the British, the Choshu Domain and the Satsuma Domain also completed cooperation in the true sense and formed an alliance. The central figures were the original four-person alliance.
However, the Choshu Domain advocated overthrow by force. Although the Satsuma Domain had already favored overthrow, it was still a little timid and expressed that it wanted to observe it again.
Choshu also had no objection, because Satsuma would see clearly the incompetence and powerlessness of the shogunate sooner or later, and since he had not accumulated enough strength, it was not appropriate to send troops.
"The reason why I left is because a friend is going to be executed today." He said with exclamation and sadness.
...
Ruishan, Wushi, is about to be executed.
A few years ago, when Zuocun went to deliver a letter to Takeshi Tomiko, Takeshi Tomiko cried and asked Zuocun why he didn't rescue Takeshi Ruishan. Zuocun had nothing to say.
"Mr. Takeichi chose this path himself" is something that cannot be said no matter what...
But at least, I can come and watch you on your last journey.
After Zuocun disguised himself, he entered the house that was chosen to be the last place in Ruishan, Takeshi.
Wushi Ruishan was sitting on his knees on the ground, and standing next to him was Jie Cuo.
He had already expected this day, so he didn't hesitate at all.
With a smile, he picked up the wakizashi.
"Thank you for your thoughts." Wu Shi Ruishan's image has not changed from before. He looks a little thin, but extremely energetic.
"Since the first year of Wenjiu, we have taken advantage of the world situation to form secret parties and incite people's hearts." He said loudly, looking out the door and looking at the sky.
"Later, he rashly criticized the officials in the capital and made various suggestions to Mr. Yamauchi rudely." He listed his crimes in a loud voice.
"Completely losing the status of a minister, despising superior authority, and disrupting the country's constitution."
"Hahahahahaha!"
Suddenly, he laughed several times.
"Blessed with grace! Now - commit hara-kiri!"
Wrapping the cotton cloth around the handle of the wakizashi's sword, Takeshi Zuishan shouted: "Excuse me!"
Poof——
There was a hole in his stomach, Takeshi Zuishan pulled out the wakizashi, and then——
Poof——
Pull it out again.
Poof——
Wushi Ruishan, stabbed three times.
The word "three" appeared on his belly.
Putting the wakizashi aside, he held onto the ground with trembling hands.
Boom!
The sound of grabbing the ground with one's head sounded.
"grateful!"
Zheng——
The man in charge took out his knife and slashed Wu Shi Ruishan's neck.
The head and body are split in two.
Wu Shi Ruishan's head was wide open with anger, and he happened to look in the direction of Zuocun.
But after seeing Zuo Cun's face, the bodyless head showed a smile for some reason.
Eyes slowly closed.
Zuo Cun gritted his teeth and let tears fall into his mouth.
He made no sound, just cried silently.
Just...just crying...
...
The one who cried more miserably than Zuocun was Okada Izo who was far away in Changshu.
He held the souvenir from Ruishan Wu that committed suicide and burst into tears in his room.
He is now in the Choshu Domain and has become a member of the "Teams", establishing the "Tenchu Team" under Takasugi Shinsaku.
Zuo Cun bought some snacks and went to the beach.
"You once told me that you are not good at drinking, and your favorite thing is all kinds of sweets..."
He looked at the sea and threw the snack into the sea.
"You haven't been buried yet, and I don't know where to pay homage to you... Let the sea, which you also love most, take away your favorite food."
Watching the bag of snacks floating further and further away with the current, Zuocun wiped the corners of his eyes and suddenly slapped himself.
"Just a hypocrite."
After cursing, Zuo Cun turned around and left here.
Mr. Takeshi, we will not waste what you have fought for us. Over the years that have allowed us to develop, we have found the right direction and accumulated strength.
We...will definitely bring your share to usher in a new era.
...
In 1865, nothing earth-shattering happened.
This year, it just flows slowly like a long stream of water.
The Choshu clan is hiding its power and biding its time, the shogunate is accumulating strength, and everything seems so peaceful.
Everyone knows that this kind of calm often means that a bigger wave is coming.
In this era when the real dragon comes to the world, the unicorn steps on the ground, and the eagle strikes the sky.
