I formed the strongest swordsman group

"What?! Is the shogunate crazy?!"

"The fight against the foreigners started on May 10th? Today is already May 7th!"

"What should we use to fight off the foreigners? Do we really need to use samurai swords to fight against the warships and guns of Western countries?"

"Great! The shogunate finally has some style of the martial arts!"

"It's long past time to fight back! I've been waiting for this day for too long!"

"Brothers! Sharpen your swords and prepare for war!"

…

Shock, confusion, panic, ecstasy... Inside and outside Kyoto, it was like an overturned spice plate. All kinds of sweet, sweet, bitter, and spicy sounds, and all kinds of emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and joy emerged one after another.

People who are loyal to the shogunate naturally cannot understand what Hitotsubashi Keiki did.

How could the dignified second-in-command of the Edo shogunate be led by the imperial court?

Isn't it always the specialty of the Edo shogunate to evade responsibility and be a "non-stick pan" that doesn't stick to anything?

Even if you have to accept the imperial edict to "repulse the barbarians immediately," shouldn't you still practice Tai Chi?

For example: Make a guarantee to the court: We will definitely fight against the foreigners! However, it will take at least 10 years to prepare for war.

Will the ban begin on May 10th? Starting to fight against the foreigners after 3 days? !

Even opening the arsenal and mobilizing troops will take at least 30 days, right? !

The Zuomu faction was worried and panicked.

On the other hand, the Zunbang faction showed a completely different reaction.

They were as happy as if they were celebrating a festival.

Everyone is gearing up, eager to rush to the battlefield immediately, kill the Xiyi, and make achievements.

Of course, only the middle and lower-class members of the Zunbo Sect would be happy about this.

The vast majority of the middle- and lower-class members of the Zunbang sect are country bumpkins who have never seen the world and lack a correct understanding of the world.

Like some of the ministers from the Zunbang faction in the imperial court, they thought that the Western Yi were just a bunch of barbarians with no redeeming qualities except for having bigger ships and more advanced firearms.

As long as you show your momentum and fighting spirit, you can defeat them easily.

As for the upper-level members of the Zunhuang faction...or the cunning elements in the Zunhuang faction who knew that the Western countries were very powerful, but still used the slogan of "repelling the foreigners" to oppose the shogunate, they were not so optimistic.

They were also particularly puzzled by Hitotsubashi Keiki's strange operation of rashly agreeing to resist the foreigners...

…

…

Kyoto, Satsuma Domain Residence——

The three heroes of the Satsuma Domain - Saigo Kinosuke in charge of military affairs, Komatsu Obito in charge of diplomacy, and Okubo Kazzo in charge of domestic affairs - the first two gathered in a secret room in the feudal residence and started a confidential conversation.

Komatsu, who was wearing a knife, frowned and said in a deep voice:

"Xixiang-kun, what do you think?"

Saigo Kinosuke crossed his legs and folded his arms in front of his chest, as if thinking.

After a moment, he murmured quietly:

"...That Hitotsubashi Keiki really made a 'cunning move'..."

Xiaosong brought a knife: "Could he have some back-up plan?"

Saigo Kinosuke was silent for a while.

"...I don't see it. What kind of back-up can he have?"

After hearing this, Komatsu brought the knife and frowned even more.

"Is it possible that... the shogunate really plans to fight against the barbarians?"

"Hmm, God knows."

Saigo Kinosuke sneered and shrugged.

"Anyway, today is already May 7, and in three days it will be May 10."

"On May 10th, we will know whether the shogunate really intends to fight against the foreigners."

"Anyway, Satsuma remains silent."

"Our current strategy remains unchanged - wait and see for changes, wait for opportunities, and never end easily."

…

…

Kyoto, Choshu feudal residence——

The three heroes of Choshu - Takasugi Shinsaku, Hisasaka Genzui, and Katsura Kogoro - gathered together.

The three of them sat in a "pin" shape, with Takasugi Shinsaku taking the first seat.

"No, I still feel it's too weird!"

Katsura Kogoro hit the ground with his fist and said loudly.

"How could the shogunate agree so readily to fight against the foreigners?"

"Obviously before this, the shogunate had always been tough and unwilling to give in."

“Why was there such a huge change overnight?”

"Conspiracy! There must be a conspiracy!"

Takasugi Shinsaku glanced at Katsura Kogoro, then pursed his lips, his face full of thinking.

"...Gui, you are right, this matter is indeed very strange..."

Before he finished speaking, Kusaka Genrui beside him said excitedly:

"In my opinion, you both think too much!"

“There was nothing thoughtful on the part of the shogunate.”

"They simply couldn't withstand the pressure from the court and had to give in!"

"In any case, our goal has been achieved!"

"The shogunate has agreed to fight against the barbarians."

"On May 10, the order of the shogunate and all the vassals must be determined to fight the Western barbarians to the death and fight to the death with the Western barbarians."

"Whether it's the shogunate or the vassals, there's no turning back."

"I want to see now how the shogunate will react on May 10th!"

“This is an eternal opportunity that can only be encountered but cannot be sought!”

"Take this opportunity to let the whole world see the backbone of our Changzhou people!"

After saying that, Kusaka Genrui grabbed the saber beside his leg and stood up with a leap.

Upon seeing this, Takasugi Shinsaku immediately frowned and said quickly:

"Kusaka, what do you want to do?"

Hisaka Genrui replied calmly:

"What do I want to do? Do you even need to ask?"

"Of course I will return to the feudal clan immediately and preside over the war against the foreigners!"

"Changzhou is adjacent to the Shimonoseki Strait, and a large number of Western ships pass through it every day."

"In the past, we could only watch these hateful Westerners swaggering past our doorsteps."

"And now, we can finally fight back!"

"Shimonoseki Strait is the front line of resistance against the foreigners!"

"On May 10, three days later, if we in Changzhou don't take the lead, wouldn't we be making others laughable?"

Shimonoseki Strait - also known as Shimonoseki Strait. The waters between the western end of Japan's Honshu Island and the northern end of Kyushu Island, the western gateway to the Seto Inland Sea, and the hub of land and sea transportation in western Japan.

The Choshu Domain is adjacent to the Shimonoseki Strait. For this reason, they can collect a large amount of customs duties from it every year.

On the surface, the total stone height of the Choshu Domain is 369,000, and its territory and grain production are not outstanding.

As a result, it simply relied on the customs revenue from the Shimonoseki Strait to earn a lot of wealth, and its actual financial resources surpassed all other vassals!

At the same time, precisely because of its strategic geographical location, a large number of Western ships have passed through the Shimonoseki Strait every day since the founding of Japan.

As soon as Genrui Hisaka finished speaking, Shinsaku Takasugi sternly refuted:

"No!"

"Kusaka, how many times have I told you?"

"'Repelling the foreigners' is our means, not our goal!"

"Our primary goal is to use the name of 'repelling the foreigners' to suppress the shogunate, drag the shogunate into troubled waters and weaken its strength, while we are left alone."

"Even if we take a hundred steps back, even if we want to resist the foreigners, it will definitely not happen now."

"We are still no match for Xiyi."

"In short, no matter how the shogunate reacts on May 10, three days later, we cannot be the first to lead the war against the foreigners!"

"If we interfere in the war against the foreigners without authorization, we will fall into an extremely disadvantageous and embarrassing situation!"

As soon as Takasugi Shinsaku finished speaking, Kusaka Genrui turned his eyes and looked at him coldly.

"Takasugi, I really look down on you more and more."

"It's a shame that you can call yourself 'A Kuangsheng of the West Sea'."

"Stop calling it 'A Kuangsheng from the West Sea'! Call it 'A Turtle from the West Sea' instead!"

"I only know how to fight for power and profit all day long, playing with your cleverness, and completely forgetting the righteousness!"

Takasugi Shinsaku instantly frowned, his slender face suddenly tense.

"What did you say?"

"You risk your life rashly, endanger the overall situation, and use your samurai sword to resist the Western cannons - is this your 'great righteousness'?"

As he spoke, he grabbed the saber by his leg, stood up suddenly, and faced Kusaka Genrui menacingly.

Hisaka Genrui did not give in. He narrowed his eyes and stared at Takasugi Shinsaku.

Upon seeing this, Katsura Kogoro stood up quickly and hurriedly ran between Takasugi Shinsaku and Kusaka Genrui, using his body to separate the two.

"Okay, okay! Don't argue!"

"We are all from Changzhou, and we are all fellow disciples!"

"What does it look like when brothers fight against each other?"

When talking about the "Three Heroes of Changzhou", people's first impression is often that they are outstanding, very outstanding.

He has a dignified appearance and is both civil and military.

All three of them studied under the thinker Yoshida Shoin, and they were brothers in the same school. Takasugi Shinsaku and Hisasaka Genzui were even known as the "Yoshida duo".

But in fact, outsiders often don't understand that the three of them are not completely of the same mind.

As the old saying goes - partisanship is everywhere!

Not only did the shogunate and the imperial court have party disputes, but even the Choshu clan also had party disputes.

The Choshu clan was divided into two major factions: the Seolon faction and the Justice faction.

The former is close to the shogunate and has always been consistent with the shogunate in terms of political alignment.

The latter hated the shogunate and advocated fighting against the barbarians.

The loyal "Justice Faction" is divided into two factions - the "Slippery Faction" led by Takasugi Shinsaku and Katsura Kogoro, and the "Hardline Faction" led by Hisasaka Gensui.

Although both sides are under the banner of "repelling the foreigners", the difference between the two can be seen just from the names.

Slickers - as the name suggests, their ideas are very slippery.

Takasugi Shinsaku and Katsura Kogoro are both aware of the power of Western countries.

For them, the so-called "rejecting the foreigners" is just a slogan and a useful weapon - a weapon specially used to deal with the shogunate.

As for the hardliners, it's much simpler - they just want to resist the barbarians, and rebelling against the rebels is just a side matter. Because the shogunate is unwilling to resist the barbarians, they rebel against the rebels.

Previously, Takasugi Shinsaku, like Kusaka Gensui, was the most determined hardliner.

It wasn't until last year's trip to Shanghai that Takasugi Shinsaku changed his mind.

Last year, in February of the second year of Bunkyu (1862), when the shogunate sent the "Chitose Maru" to Shanghai for trade, Takasugi Shinsaku went with the ship along with the Fifth Generation Tomohiro of the Satsuma Domain and Nakamou Kuranosuke of the Saga Domain.

During his two-month stay in Shanghai, Takasugi Shinsaku took every possible approach to observe the situation in China.

During his stay, he wrote down what he saw, heard and thought: foreign merchant ships were racing in Tianjin Port, foreign shops were lined up in the city streets, groups of sailors disembarked from warships to perform tasks, the Waibaidu Bridge on the Suzhou River only faced Open to foreigners free of charge...

He keenly pointed out: "The situation in Shanghai can be said to be that of a British state" and "This is definitely not a fire across the shore... Who can guarantee that our country will not suffer from this situation? It is very dangerous!".

In addition, through this trip to Shanghai, he clearly realized that the future is the era of new cannons and warships!

In this way, after returning from Shanghai, he transformed from a hard-liner to a slippery one, and began to have a dispute with Gensui Kusaka, who always adhered to a hard-line line.

In essence, Kusaka Genrui is not a fool who sits in a well and watches the sky.

He actually knows the strength of Western countries very well.

However, he was an idealist: he would rather die a heroic death than live an ignoble existence.

He still couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart - as a dignified man, how could he watch Westerners being tyrannical?

Even if there is no chance of winning, we must fight to the end - this is Kusaka Genrui's inner thoughts.

Kusaka Genzui represents what a large part of people with lofty ideals think and think.

"..."

Hisaka Genzui looked at Katsura Kogoro, then at Takasugi Shinsaku, and then left quickly without saying a word.

"Hey! Wait! Kusaka! I haven't finished speaking yet!"

Takasugi Shinsaku chased after him.

Hisaka Genrui's response came faintly in the distance:

"You haven't said enough, but I've heard enough."

…

…

Even the heroes of Satsuma and Choshu were at a loss by Hitotsubashi Kei's tricks, let alone Aoto and others in the shogunate camp.

No matter which angle you look at it, Hitotsubashi's celebration is incomprehensible.

For a time, the saying that "Mr. Hitotsubashi is crazy" spread throughout Kyoto and beyond.

Aoto, Matsudaira Yongho, and other high-ranking shogunate officials currently stationed in Beijing, took turns to go to Nijo Castle, vowing to seek an explanation from Hitotsubashi Keiki.

Especially Qingteng and Matsudaira Yongbao - both of them are generals with soldiers in their hands.

If we really want to go to war with the Western countries, they will be the first to bear the brunt.

The Shinsengumi is still a classical army and has not yet transformed into a modern army with guns and artillery.

Being enemies with the troops of the Western countries... Not to mention the strongest British and French troops, even the US and Russian troops can severely suppress the Shinsengumi.

Even Tokugawa Iemo and Tenzouin were caught off guard.

According to Tenzouin himself, after learning about the trouble that Hitotsubashi Keiki had caused, Tokugawa Iemo directly performed "sitting up in a dying illness".

In this way, Kazuhashi Qingxi, who had aroused public anger, was surrounded and held accountable by everyone.

However, he did nothing.

He locked himself in his room and refused to see guests or go out.

Even if Tokugawa Iemo issued a strict order, he would not leave the room for even half a step, citing "physical discomfort".

After all, Hitotsubashi Keiki was the post-shogunate and the spiritual leader of the "hitotsubashi faction". He refused to see anyone, and Tokugawa Iemo had nothing to do with him.

One day later, on May 8, everyone learned a piece of news like a bolt from the blue - Hitotsubashi Keiji had escaped!

In the middle of the night on May 7th, he quietly left Nijo Castle and sneaked back to Edo!

By the time everyone knew his whereabouts, he had already crossed Otsu and was walking on the road back to Edo with great swagger.

He did not inform anyone in advance of his "escape".

Even Matsudaira Chunyue was kept in the dark.

Kazuhashi Qingxi ran away, and everyone's anger could only be directed at Matsudaira Harugaku.

Faced with the public questioning, Matsudaira Chunyue could be said to be on the point of crying but without tears.

In the end, under pressure, Matsudaira Chunyue had to tell the truth.

In this way, after Matsudaira Chunaku's "decryption", everyone finally learned the real reason why Hitotsubashi celebrated Haikou's boast that "on May 10, the fight against the barbarians began" - there was no special reason.

Nothing thoughtful.

There is no backup plan.

It was just a whim.

Yes, on a whim!

To be more precise, it was a moment of excitement!

The debates between chickens and ducks, the endless verbal attacks from Sanjo Sanimi and others, the huge mental pressure... Hitotsubashi Keiki was very annoyed by the torment.

So, out of anger, he gave up on himself and directly made a promise to fight against the foreigners, and casually made a date of "May 10th".

To be honest, Qingdeng didn't even know how to react to such a result...

It is no exaggeration to say that the moment he learned the truth, Qingden's eyes suddenly turned white, and he did not recover for a long time.

The serious political struggle ended like a child's play.

Although this result is outrageous, it is somewhat reasonable.

When ordinary people look at politicians, they always unconsciously put on a special filter.

I think these politicians are all extremely smart and first-class people.

He is resourceful, has a lofty vision, and has a profound meaning in every move he makes.

Even just rolling your eyes in public can be interpreted by busybodies into multiple meanings.

But in essence, apart from a very small number of political machines such as Liu Bang, Qianlong, and Pismai who can completely abandon personal emotions and only care about gains and losses, the vast majority of politicians are ordinary human beings.

Since we are ordinary human beings with normal emotions and desires, we will always make mistakes.

Hitotsubashi Keiki is just a young man. He is only 26 years old this year, and he is in the prime of life.

It is perfectly normal for a young man like him to be dominated by his emotions.

Moreover, Tianzhangyuan had previously warned Qingto: Hitotsubashi Keiki is a very emotional person.

In this way, thanks to the "blessing" of Hitachi Qingxi, Qingdeng truly felt what it means to "plans cannot keep up with changes."

He originally thought that the shogunate would definitely not be manipulated by the court, so he did not consider the possibility that the shogunate would agree to fight the barbarians.

In fact, what’s the use of thinking about it?

A meteorite larger than the earth is about to hit the earth. How should we escape? What's the point of thinking about this problem?

What capital does the current shogunate have to challenge Western countries?

Regarding this sudden and imminent war against the barbarians, the Shinsengumi had mixed reactions.

In recent days, as soon as the Shinsengumi generals see Seito, they will ask him directly or tactfully: What should we do?

Even Shannan Keisuke and Sanako, who were always calm and composed, also lost their usual calmness.

Kondo Isamu, Nagakura Shinpachi, Harada Sanosuke and other "martial arts factions" said to him aggressively: Tachibana-kun/Mr. Tachibana, if we want to fight Saiyi to the death, we will accompany him to the end!

The "quiet faction" such as the General Secretary, Shannan Keisuke, and Sanako warned him earnestly: He must stay calm and must not raise troops without authorization.

At this time, the role of the general is reflected.

Those who have thunder in their chests and a flat lake in their faces can worship the general - even if the Transformers attack, the general should always remain calm.

Anyone can panic, but the general must not panic.

The general is the anchor of the sea. As long as the general does not mess up the position, the army will not be easily shaken.

On the contrary, if the general loses control, panic will spread to all parts of the army in geometric multiples.

In order to appease the morale of the soldiers, Qingdeng had to activate his talent "Deceiver +1" and said to the soldiers with certainty:

"No need to worry!"

"Just do whatever you are supposed to do."

"As long as you believe in me, the Shinsengumi will and will always defeat all enemies!"

"As long as you continue to follow me, we will have no rivals ahead of us!"

Relying on his lofty prestige and sincere preaching, Qingdeng finally succeeded in stabilizing the morale of the army.

To be honest, Qingdeng had no definite idea in his mind about his next actions...

It was May 10th in three days, and there was really too little time left for him to react.

It's not just him.

Tokugawa Iemo, Tenjoin, Matsudaira Yōho, Matsudaira Harugaku... everyone was empty-headed and didn't know what to do.

Soon, time flies...

In the blink of an eye, May 10th came quietly...

…

…

Wenjiu three years (1863), May 10th——

Choshu Domain, Shimonoseki Strait——

Kusaka Genrui held the sword at his waist, held his head high and looked serious.

In front of him, 1,000 Zunbo faction patriots armed to the teeth were arranged in a neat square formation, staring directly at Kusaka Genrui, waiting for his instructions.

For a moment, Kusaka Genrui raised his voice and shouted as loud as he could:

"Men of Changzhou!"

"The day we have been waiting for has finally arrived!"

"From today on, we no longer need to kowtow to the Western Yi!"

"Starting from today, Xiyi will completely get out of this land!"

"Men of Changzhou, let Xiyi and everyone in the world see our bloody nature!"

As soon as Kusaka Genrui finished speaking, the roars shouted in unison by these 1,000 lofty ideals resounded through the sky.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh-!"

Suddenly, a patriot rushed over:

"Kusaka-kun, we found an enemy warship! It's an American merchant ship!"

Hisaka Genrui gave the order without hesitation:

"Shell! Sink it!"

"From now on, all Western ships passing through the Shimonoseki Strait will be sunk without any need to ask for permission!"

…

…

On this day, the "rumbling" sound of artillery dominated the entire Shimonoseki Strait.

On this day, the patriots of the Choshu Domain actively responded to the shogunate's decree "Start fighting the barbarians on May 10th" and assembled 1,000 patriots, 2 sail warships (Bingchen Maru, Gengshen Maru) and 2 steam warships (Renjin Maru). Pento Maru, Guihai Maru), blocked the Shimonoseki Strait and bombarded all Western ships passing through the strait.

As far as the results are concerned, the Choshu Domain's lofty ideals indeed have the guts, and they are not cowards who dare to speak and dare not do what they do.

When the time came to resist the foreigners, they really dared to stand up!

It's just that... their fight to the death was ultimately wrong.

On this day, except for the Choshu Domain, the shogunate and other feudal states all stood aside and ignored the imperial edict to "repulse the barbarians immediately."

The situation once again ushered in an earth-shaking reversal!

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