I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 835: The war begins! Changzhou marches east to the capital! [4600]

Judging from the various evidences currently available, Choshu is most likely connected to the Fazhu Party.

According to Souji and others, during the battle of Ikedaya, Hannya took very obvious actions to protect Katsura Kogoro.

Although there was obvious hostility and impatience in Hannya's tone when he was talking to Katsura Kogoro, when Katsura Kogoro was in crisis, he did stand up and help Katsura Kogoro escape from Ikeda-ya.

It is not known whether the current relationship between Choshu and the Hoshin Party is "in-depth cooperation" or "initial contact".

However, "Choshu colluded with the Fazhu Party" is an established fact.

As soon as Boss Kiryu finished speaking, Qing Deng said directly:

"'Make it over with him'?"

"Boss Kiryu, please forgive me for being blunt - you probably don't have the ability to end things with the other party now."

"Seven years ago, you tried your best but you could only tie with him."

"Now, seven years have passed."

"You are older and your body is older."

"He is in his prime, and his physique and strength are rapidly increasing."

"With one side gaining and the other losing, how can you be sure to end things with him?"

"Why don't you take a revolver with you?"

Qing Deng said this while making a "shoot" gesture.

"Look for the right opportunity and shoot him a few times. Maybe we can achieve a surprise victory."

Boss Kiryu burst out laughing.

"Ju Jun, a mere pistol can't do anything to a master of his level."

"If you want to subdue him with firearms, you need to mobilize a musketeer team of at least 10 people."

After saying this, Boss Kiryu let out a long sigh, and then showed an extremely refreshed expression.

"You're not the first person to tell me to stop."

"My Lord, Mucun... Everyone advised me not to be depressed. I am already old and I shouldn't go and die."

"I also know that the lord secretly ordered the team responsible for finding Keji: once Keji is found, there is no need to talk to him about martial ethics, just kill him with firearms."

"It's to get rid of Keji before I can."

"I appreciate your kindness."

"But my determination will not change."

"The reason why I am determined to end things with Keji is not just a matter of pride."

"As I just said, this is the bitter fruit I sowed myself."

"It is my responsibility."

“That’s a battle I have to face.”

"If I escape, I'm afraid I will never be able to let go of this regret until I die."

"Besides..."

Having said this, Mr. Kiryu paused.

When he spoke again, there was a hint of joking in his tone.

"Although I am an octogenarian with my eyebrows buried in the dirt, I am still a swordsman at heart."

"My last battle with Katsumi was not satisfying enough."

"Deep in my heart, I have been secretly looking forward to having another hearty duel with my beloved disciple without any regrets!"

"It doesn't matter if you succeed or fail."

"This is the result of my own actions, and the battle I started."

"No matter what the result is, I will accept it with pleasure."

After saying that, Boss Kiryu slowly stood up.

"Okay, I've finished telling the story."

"Haha...telling stories is also a very tiring thing."

"Especially an unpleasant story like this."

"I'm a little tired, so I'll go down and rest first."

"Jujun, you should go to bed early too."

After leaving these words, he turned around with a complicated expression and took big strides.

In a moment, his figure disappeared at the end of the courtyard...

……

……

"..."

Qing Deng took a step forward mechanically.

He looked calm on the surface.

But in fact, his mind had drifted away and he was walking forward purely on instinct.

For this reason, he didn't even hear the footsteps coming from the side.

"An Yi, long time no see."

Qing Deng was stunned for a moment, then turned around to look—Kinoshita Lin was walking towards him slowly with her hands behind her back.

"Grandma, it's been a while since I last asked about you. How are you doing?"

Kinoshita Lin nodded slightly:
"Except for the fact that the weather is too hot and makes people irritable, everything is fine."

As she spoke, she moved to Qing Deng's side and walked side by side.

"How is Ah Wu? Has her leg cramps improved?"

When she talked about Ah Wu, her always tense facial lines suddenly became more gentle.

Qing Deng smiled bitterly:
"After forcing her to eat more shrimp shells, her problem has improved a lot."

"However...she now has a big prejudice against shrimps and says she 'never wants to eat shrimps again in her life'."

Kinoshita Rin said half amused and half helplessly:
"She's almost going to be a mother, why is she still acting like a child?"

After the two exchanged a few casual pleasantries, Kinoshita Lin suddenly fell silent for a moment.

After a while, she changed the subject:
"Jiulang...did he tell you everything?"

"..."

Qing Deng didn't reply, but just nodded vigorously.

"I see... I guess he must have said something like 'This is my own fault' or 'I have to face it', right?"

Qing Deng nodded again:
"Yes, you are absolutely right."

Upon hearing this, Kinoshita Lin let out a long sigh, and then showed a depressed expression as if she was disappointed in her friend.

"Alas... You are already old, but why are you still acting like a reckless youngster?"

"An Yi, you probably don't know. Although Jiu Lang always looks mature and steady, when he gets stubborn, he is harder to persuade than anyone else."

Having said that, Kinoshita Lin sighed again.

"Well... at this point, there's no point in complaining."

At this time, the two happened to come to a fork in the road.

Kinoshita Lin paused and turned to look at the fork in the road to the right.

"Jujun, can you take a walk with me?"

Qing Deng answered almost without thinking:

"of course can."

The old man and the young turned right without saying a word.

In a short while, a beautiful courtyard with colorful flowers came into Qingdeng's sight.

The weather is nice today, with soft sunshine, making it a great time to visit the park and enjoy the scenery.

However, both the old and the young were too preoccupied with the sight of the beautiful scenery around them to even glance at it.

They were strolling among the flowers... Suddenly, Kinoshita Lin spoke quietly:

"Keiji is a person with an extreme personality."

"This kind of innate character flaw cannot be corrected by giving him some pointers or teaching him a lesson."

“Even if it appears to be corrected, it is mostly an illusion.”

"Whether Keji's misguided path was Jiulang's fault or not is hard to say."

"In short, I am only sure of one thing - I don't want Jiulang to encounter any danger."

"Kuro, Yahachi, Shichirobei, Katsurokuro...the four of them have been following me since I was a little girl in my teens."

“They are my companions as well as my precious family members.”

"We have gone through countless storms and hardships together, and now we are still alive and well together... Now that I think about it, it's like a miracle."

"I hope they can live the rest of their lives in peace and then pass away contentedly and without regrets."

"Shichirobei and Katsurokuro have both accepted their old age and live happily every day, eating and sleeping."

"Only Kuro and Yahachi are left to worry me."

"They both can't sit still. I told them to just be a fool, but they just wouldn't listen to me."

"Especially Jiulang." "The feud between him and Keji really made me worry."

Hearing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but sideways his eyes and looked at the other person's extremely white hair without a single strand of other colors with a strange expression.

Your hair is naturally very white—Qing Deng resisted the urge to complain.

"'Make peace with Keji' has become Jiulang's obsession."

"If he is not allowed to resolve this obsession, he will probably die with regrets."

"Alas... there is nothing I can do."

"Now that things have come to this, I have no other choice but to let nature take its course..."

After finishing her words, Kinoshita Lin stopped.

Qingdeng also paused.

Kinoshita Lin raised her eyes and looked straight at Qing Deng, their eyes met.

"Tachibana-kun, if you can... help Kuro as much as you can."

Kinoshita Rin, who usually appears serious, dignified and majestic, now has a pleading look on his face.

“Jiulang would rather break up with Keji than hand over Vairocana to him.

"Keji is not qualified to hold the sword, but you can wear it on your waist - Jiulang's trust in you and your position in Jiulang's heart are beyond words!"

"I am sure that for Jiulang, you have surpassed self-control!"

"We can't get involved in Kuro and Katsumi's dispute."

"But you are different."

"If it were you, you might be able to do something we can't do."

"If there's a day in the future when you can do something for Jiulang, please lend a hand."

After hearing this, Qing Deng was half impressed by Kinoshita Lin's sincere attitude, and half felt something in his heart. He looked solemn and spoke in a sonorous voice, word by word:
"Grandma, you are too kind."

"Boss Kiryu is not only my swordsmanship instructor, but also my closest and most beloved elder."

"To be honest, I don't know how far I can go for Mr. Kiryu."

"But I can assure you that the young man who received his kindness has now grown into a prosperous man! His arms are strong enough to protect him behind him!"

……

……

Choshu Domain, Hagi Castle (Choshu Domain’s headquarters)——

“Wuwuwuwuwuwuwuwu…!”

"Mr. Miyabe! You died tragically!"

"If I don't take revenge, I won't be worthy of being a son!"

"That's right! We want revenge! We must take revenge!"

"Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!"

"Earthward Expedition! Attack the capital! Attack Qinjin Domain! Pull off Tachibana Aoto's head!"

"Kill the Qin monster! Destroy the traitors! Eliminate the thieves!"

"Kill the Qin monster! Destroy the traitors! Eliminate the thieves!"

"Kill the Qin monster! Destroy the traitors! Eliminate the thieves!"

……

The series of shocks that the "Ikedaya Incident" brought to Choshu did not diminish with the passage of time, but instead became more and more severe.

Miyabe Teizo, Yoshida Toshima and others were not only traitors, but they also attempted to burn down Kyoto and kidnap the emperor, which was an act of adding crime to crime.

Therefore, they were all sentenced to death - their heads were chopped off and placed on the Sanjo River, with their crimes clearly written on a note, and their heads could not be taken down before 30 days to serve as a warning to others.

[Note: Sheza: In the Edo period, the name, age, birthplace, crime, etc. of the executed criminal were recorded and announced, and the notice was placed at the execution ground for 30 days after the execution]

Beheading in public...it's almost the most insulting thing.

During this period, some Sonnōjō patriots, or some people who sympathized with the Sonnōjō faction, tried to snatch back the heads of Miyabe Teizo and others.

Qing Deng, who had been prepared for this, deployed heavy troops to guard the three river plains.

These people who came to grab the head vividly performed the story of Calabash Brothers saving his grandfather - they sent him away one by one.

When this series of bad news reached Choshu, the entire domain was in an uproar.

In recent years, the pro-war faction, which has been defeated time and time again, has been under too much pressure.

Battle of Shimonoseki - Destroyed by the US-French joint fleet, the coastal defense forces were completely destroyed. How shameless they were.

August 18th Coup - The Kai-Sa coalition forces drove them out of Kyoto, and the friendly Tenjugumi was also annihilated by the Shinsengumi.

The continuous failures and the contempt of the world had already made the Choshu patriots furious.

They are eager to prove their strength and prove that the "Changzhou Spirit" is still alive.

Before the anger subsided, another disastrous defeat came - the "Ikedaya Incident" was like a spark that completely ignited the "powder keg"!
For a time, it became very popular.

"Launch an eastern expedition", "Let the Shinsengumi pay with blood", "Eliminate the Hinatsu clan and make Tachibana Aoto's head into a wine glass" ... all kinds of radical remarks echoed in the streets and alleys of Hagi Castle.

Of course, there are people who understand.

By now, many people have seen the reality clearly - if we in Choshu were really so powerful and had the ability to punch Qin Huisa and kick the shogunate, then we would not have lost so badly in the previous Shimonoseki War and the August 18th Coup.

If we launch an eastern expedition, it would be like fighting in someone else's home turf. Challenging Qinjin, Aizu and Satsuma with the strength of a single clan. We have no advantage of time, place or people. How can we win?
As we all know, when "fanaticism" becomes the mainstream, "rationality" becomes a sin.

The Choshu patriots who had gone completely "crazy" were no longer able to listen to these rational voices.

Choshu warriors once again mobilized their traditional performing arts -

As long as we bring out the "Changzhou Spirit", everything will be fine!
What? You dare to object?

Traitor! God will punish you!

……

……

Choshu Domain, Hagi Castle, Castle Tower——

The feudal lord, Mori Yoshichika, sat on the main seat.

The ministers, led by Hisaka Genzui and Katsura Kogoro, sat on both sides below.

As soon as the meeting started, fierce arguments could be heard.

"Kusaka-kun! Stop hesitating! Fight!"

"Yes! The shogunate has put a knife to our necks!"

"It's always better to strike first than to be controlled by the enemy!"

Kurushima Ubei, Maki Izumi...these radical elements had louder voices than each other, and they all urged Kusaka Genzui to send troops to launch an eastern expedition, to occupy the capital region by military means and to recapture the emperor.

Kusaka Genzui lowered his head, his eyes fixed on the floor in front of his knees, his face expressionless and he said nothing.

Another person who didn't say a word was Takasugi Shinsaku.

He held his precious shamisen in his arms, looking as if he was out of the loop, in a daze.

In this frenzy, only Katsura Kogoro made a different voice:

"'Eastern Expedition'? Don't be silly!"

"Where do we get the military strength to defeat Qin Huisa and occupy the capital?!"

"Wake up! Stop dreaming!"

"This is not called 'preemptive strike'! This is called rushing to your death!"

Despite his small size and powerlessness, Katsura Kogoro still tries his best to stop the war.

Katsura Kogoro knew very well that the only way to stop the war was to persuade Kusaka Genzui.

Therefore, he kept his eyes on Hisaka Genzui who was opposite him, and all his heartfelt words were addressed to him.

Kusaka Genzui is the leader of the radical faction, and all the radicals follow his lead.

As long as he shakes his head in opposition, the war can be nipped in the bud.

But on the other hand, if he nodded in agreement...

Amidst the commotion, Hisaka Genzui, who had been motionless since a while ago, finally reacted.

He slowly raised his head, his face still expressionless, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.

In fact, it doesn't matter what he really thinks in his heart.

Because at the same time he looked up, he said in a clear voice without any sadness or joy:

"Issue a mobilization order! Assemble all the troops in the domain and begin the Eastern Expedition!"

After saying that, he turned his head and looked at Mori Yoshichika who was sitting on the main seat.

"My Lord, what do you think?"

Mao Liqingchi is worthy of being called "Let it be the Duke", and his response was just as everyone expected.

As soon as Kusaka Genzui finished speaking, he immediately said:
"Okay, so be it!"

……

……

On the same day, the news of "starting the Eastern Expedition" spread throughout Choshu, and then quickly spread throughout Japan.

After hearing this news, everyone who had a little knowledge of Japanese history was keenly aware that after more than 1615 years since the Summer Campaign of Osaka (), Kinai was about to become a battlefield for daimyo to compete!
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PS: Following the "Ikedaya Incident" was the "Kinmon Incident" - Choshu launched an eastern expedition and attacked the capital - these two incidents were connected, and the former was the fuse of the latter.