I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 895: The terminal disease of the Edo period - tuberculosis [6000]

The epic defeat of the Eastern Expedition caused heavy losses to Changzhou
The guerrillas, sniper teams and other elite troops with decent strength were all wiped out.

The losses were so great that they shook the foundation of the country.

Of course, for Katsura Kogoro, Takasugi Shinsaku and others, the collapse of morale is the most difficult problem compared to the loss of military strength.

"Respecting the Emperor and Expelling the Barbarians" has always been the unwavering administrative philosophy of the Choshu high-level officials, and it is also the greatest political correctness within the Choshu domain.

It was precisely with the slogan of "supporting the imperial court and expelling the barbarians" that they were able to unite all major classes in Choshu and face foreign aggression together.

But the result is... After so many years of boasting about the "Changzhou Spirit", it has never been put to use.

Faced with the powerful ships and guns of the Western powers and the iron hoofs of the Shinsengumi, the Choshu soldiers who tried their best to display the "Choshu spirit" always had only one outcome: being ruthlessly crushed!

From the "Shimonoseki War" to the "Ikedaya Incident", and then to the "Kyoto Summer Campaign", Japan suffered one defeat after another, and its defeats became increasingly severe.

Faced with such disastrous results of repeated defeats, even the most hardline radicals have no face to talk about the "Choshu spirit" or "samurai swords chopping warships" anymore.

Today, with the deaths of Kusaka Genzui and others, the radical faction, which had lost the support of the people, has completely lost power.

In this way, the radicals with extreme ideas and cruel means completely withdrew from the power center of Choshu and could no longer cause any trouble.

The steady faction led by Katsura Kogoro and Takasugi Shinsaku replaced them and took over all power in Choshu - this should be the only good thing that happened to Choshu in recent years.

Although Katsura and Takasugi are both complete novices in governing the country, this is much better than before.

At least, the country is now run by normal people.

For a long time, there has been a conservative force within Choshu that cannot be underestimated.

After the radicals lost power, not only did the conservatives represented by Katsura and Takasugi come to power, but the conservatives also rose in power.

This group of people were opposed to any words or actions that attacked the imperial court and the shogunate, and were known as the "popular opinion faction."

Throughout history, "political inertia" has always been a common thing.

Although the shogunate's poor performance in recent years has been witnessed by the world, the psychological weaknesses that have accumulated over more than 200 years cannot be eliminated easily.

The powerful image of the shogunate that dominated Japan and all the other lords in the world dared to obey it was deeply engraved in the hearts of the older ministers.

Even though they knew that the shogunate was far less powerful than before, there were still many people who feared it and were unwilling to become its enemy.

Of course, many of these conservatives are pure "traitors".

Most of these guys are related to the shogunate, and they naturally put their own interests above the interests of Choshu.

The leader of the conservative faction in Choshu was named Tota Kurakuri.

Regarding the "Choshu Expedition" that the shogunate was about to launch, Katsura, Takasugi, and Kurashige and others engaged in a very heated debate.

The conservative opinion is simple: surrender.

Kurari Tota and others said:
The three people who had strongly advocated "eastern expedition to the capital and bring back the emperor" and completely angered the shogunate's elders - Fukuda Echigo, Kokushi Shinano, and Masuda Uemonsuke - committed seppuku to apologize.

Then, the lord, Mori Yoshiki, was asked to wear a white robe representing surrender, face the east, the direction of the Edo Shogunate, kowtow to admit his mistake, and present a letter of surrender, praying for the magnanimity of the shogunate.

Anyway, "Let's do it this way" is a piece of iron waste with no opinion, no one will care about it.

Even if he was asked to do such a cowardly thing, he would definitely say "Okay! Let's do it!"

In fact, when the two factions were discussing how to deal with the shogunate's westward expedition, they did not even invite Mori Yoshichika to sit in.

It can be seen how useless this lord of Choshu is that even his own subjects look down on him.

Kurani Tota and others believed that the shogunate would not kill all the people in Choshu.

After all, Choshu is a powerful feudal lord in the western part of the country. Even though it has suffered severe damage now, it still has a certain level of combat capability.

If the two sides really tear each other apart and fight to the death, even if the shogunate wins in the end, it will definitely pay a heavy price and the loss will outweigh the gain.

Preferring political victories over military victories was a traditional skill of the Edo Shogunate.

As long as we keep a low profile and give the shogunate enough face, we will be able to turn the crisis into safety.

To sum up, we must never go to war with the shogunate.

In response to the arguments made by Tota and others, Katsura and Takasugi’s response was simple: “Ridiculous! It’s really too ridiculous!”

Takasugi Shinsaku, who has a bad temper, directly refuted:

"Peace will not come from bowing down! Do you think the shogunate will spare us if we kneel down on the ground?"

Although Katsura Kogoro was a gentle and refined man, he mocked the conservatives' stupid remarks without hesitation:
"You are pinning your hopes of survival on the mercy of your enemies! I am so ashamed for you!"

Ever since they learned that the shogunate was preparing to launch the "Choshu Expedition", Katsura and Takasugi have never stopped collecting relevant intelligence.

Combining all the currently known information, they have determined that the shogunate's westward expedition is aimed at destroying them!
No matter from which angle you analyze it, this massive offensive that mobilized 200,000 troops was real and was definitely not meant to scare them.

The shogunate is determined to annihilate them this time. How could it stop the attack just because of your servility?
To take a step back and think about it, even if the shogunate really spared Choshu, it would inevitably be subject to reduction of fiefdom and changes, and the country would no longer be a country.

Surrender is a dead end! The only way out is to pick up a knife and fight!
One side wants to surrender, the other side wants to fight to the end...the conflict between the two sides is difficult to reconcile.

The two groups argued fiercely and their faces turned red and their necks became thick.

However, the debate did not last long.

There is a saying that "power comes from the barrel of a gun."

Takasugi Shinsaku commands the powerful Special Forces.

At the same time, he and Katsura Kogoro are both powerful swordsmen who can defeat a hundred people at the same time.

On the other hand, the conservatives... let alone an army that completely obeys their orders, they don't even have a single powerful, brave and skilled swordsman under their command.

Facts have proved that the weapon of criticism cannot ultimately replace the criticism of weapons.

In this way, Katsura and Takasugi successfully "persuaded" the conservatives and successfully curbed the spread of the "wind of surrender."

Although Mori Yoshichika is a piece of iron waste with no sense of existence and no practical use, the necessary process still has to be followed.

Katsura and Takasugi presented a request to Mori Yoshichika to "unite and fight against the shogunate together."

Then, as expected, the other party said loudly:

"Okay, let's do it!"

At this point, Choshu had unified its thoughts and decided to fight to the end.

Now that we have decided to fight against the shogunate, the next thing to do is simple: seize the time to build fortifications and strengthen war preparations!

The Kiheitai, created by Takasugi Shinsaku, is the last remaining armed force in Choshu.

The special forces team, which is deeply westernized and able to use guns and artillery skillfully, certainly has remarkable combat power.

But... a 2000-man army is not as strong as the 20-man army that is about to attack...

The country is in a difficult situation and is on the verge of defeat - this phrase is the most appropriate to describe Choshu's current situation.

……

……

Changzhou, the training ground of the special forces——

"Kill ah ah ah ah!"

"That's right! That's the kind of momentum we need! Try your best to maintain it!"

"Hey! Who told you to rest?! When the battle really starts, will the Shogun let you lie down and rest?"

"Hurry up! Move faster!"

"Your sword swing is weak! Your shooting is inaccurate! Your steps are loose! Your reactions are slow! You think you can defeat Tachibana Aoto?!"

……

The training ground of the special forces is a large flat dirt field without even a weed, where soldiers can be seen training hard everywhere.

Some were running, some were lining up, some were practicing with their muskets...it was all very lively.

What’s interesting is that they deliberately put more force when stepping on the ground.

The reason is that the words "Qin Yao", "Hui Jian", "Sa Zei", "Ju Qingdeng" and "Ju Gou" are written on the soles of their shoes.

Every time they stepped hard on the soles of their shoes, they would feel a sense of satisfaction as if "revenge had been achieved".

……

……

Somewhere in the school field——

Katsura Kogoro stood with his hands behind his back, looking expressionlessly at the soldiers who were training intensively.

Beside him, Takasugi Shinsaku was carrying his inseparable shamisen on his back, grinning:
"Gui, how is it? The training results are quite encouraging, right?"

"To be fair, even someone as picky as me can't find any flaws."

Katsura Kogoro nodded slightly in agreement.

Most of the members of the Special Forces are people of noble character who are concerned about their country and their people and are full of passion.

Faced with the impending war and the overwhelming unfavorable situation of being outnumbered by the enemy, they were not afraid but were full of fighting spirit.

Therefore, they trained harder and even took the initiative to practice more, and the whole team burst out with amazing morale.

While Katsura and Takasugi were watching the training silently—

"Oh! What a great team! The training results are really impressive!"

Suddenly, a middle-aged male voice with a smile came from behind them:

Katsura Kogoro and Takasugi Shinsaku both turned their heads to look—

The stomach arrives before the person.

The Yamata-no-Orochi walked towards them with his huge belly bulging.

Looking at the Yamata-no-Orochi that suddenly appeared, Katsura Kogoro and Takasugi Shinsaku both showed complicated expressions.

In the previous debate to persuade the conservatives, although they both said a lot of nice things, it seemed that they could turn the danger into safety as long as they continued to fight.

But in fact, Katsura Kogoro and his men knew better than anyone that without external help, Choshu would never be able to defeat the shogunate army on its own!
No matter how hard the special forces tried or how much they intensified their training, it was impossible for them to stop the massive attack of an army of 200,000 with only 2,000 soldiers.

Today, Changzhou has become a rat crossing the street, and everyone wants to kill him.

Almost all the vassal states avoided them and were unwilling to lend them a helping hand.

Even the merchants in Osaka were unwilling to lend them money.

Therefore, the only force that can and is willing to help them right now is the Fazhu Party.

To be honest, Katsura Kogoro and Takasugi Shinsaku were both unwilling to deal with the Fazhu Party. But in order to preserve Choshu, they gritted their teeth and accepted it even if it meant making a deal with the devil.

Since forming an offensive and defensive alliance with the Hojutsu Party, Yamata no Orochi has often come to visit, sometimes alone, and sometimes accompanied by Otakemaru, Tamamonomae and other companions.

Today, there are two men and one woman following closely beside him.

Katsura Kogoro looked up and found that the three people were faces he had never seen before.

The woman was very young, at best she could be considered a "girl".

She has fair skin, pretty face, slim figure and well-proportioned limbs. She is considered a beauty.

It is worth mentioning that their attire is very distinctive.

She was wearing a kimono with the sleeves cut off and the hem cut short to the middle of her thighs. Her two small feet were not wearing shoes or socks, only a pair of thick tabi.

This outfit is refreshing and exudes a sense of efficiency from head to toe.

It is obvious at first glance that this suit was specially altered into a shape that is easy to move in order to facilitate movement.

With such attire, plus the woman's steady and powerful steps and slender waist...so, Katsura Kogoro made up his mind: she should be the kind of female ninja who is proficient in body movements and has nimble hands and feet.

As for the two men who were also following the Yamata no Orochi, they were also very distinctive.

One of them was a burly man with long hair casually draped over his back.

In the Edo period, it was quite rare for men to have waist-length hair like this.

In comparison, it was another man who surprised Katsura Kogoro - this man was a Westerner!

He has golden hair and sky-blue eyes, deep facial features that are very different from those of Oriental people. He is about 40 years old, handsome, and has a short beard on his chin.

As soon as this Westerner appeared, he instantly attracted the attention of Katsura and Takasugi.

At this moment, they asked the same question:
——Are there any Westerners among the members of the Law and Punishment Party?
Just as they were confused, Yamata no Orochi spoke up at the right time and introduced:

"Katsura-kun, Takasugi-kun, please allow me to introduce you."

He said as he turned slightly to the side to get out of sight.

Then he pointed at the burly man and the young girl.

"These two are my trusted and beloved generals, Niu Gui and Nu Nu!"

As soon as Yamata no Orochi finished speaking, the sturdy man and the girl...the Ushio and the Nyu, nodded in acknowledgement.

Katsura and Takasugi also nodded in response.

As an outstanding talent who is both civil and military, Katsura Kogoro naturally knows the related stories of the cow ghost and the wet girl.

Ushi-oni and Nyu-onna - the "monster duo" in Japanese legend.

The Ushigami is a vicious sea monster with a head in the shape of a cow and a body like a giant spider or crab. It is good at using poison and often sprays venom from its mouth to attack.

When talking about cattle ghosts, they are usually mentioned together with another similar type of monster - that is the nunv.

Nunu refers to a monster with a woman's head and a snake's body.

The cow ghost often acts together with the wet woman, who disguises herself as a woman with wet hair to deceive passers-by and offer them as food to the cow ghost.

Since they can use demons and ghosts as their names, these two people are naturally cadres who are qualified to have tattoos.

As far as Katsura Kogoro knew, these tattoos of the cadres of the Dharma Party were not randomly inked, but all had intriguing and profound meanings.

As Katsura Kogoro looked at the man and woman, he thought of the legend that "the cow-o-gui and the nun often act together"... He couldn't help but wonder: For what reason were they given the names "cow-o-gui" and "nun"?
At this moment, the voice of Yamata no Orochi brought his consciousness back to reality.

Then the Yamata no Orochi moved its finger and pointed at the Westerner.

"This one is my most important friend! Mael d'Orleans! From France across the ocean!"

Maher bowed slightly, gave Katsura and Takasugi an impeccable bow, and said in Japanese:
"Nice to meet you. My name is Mael d'Orleans. Thank you for your guidance."

Although he has an accent, he speaks very fluently.

Katsura Kogoro and Takasugi Shinsaku were slightly stunned as it was their first time meeting a Westerner who could speak Japanese so well and in such an elegant manner.

Takasugi Shinsaku frowned slightly and asked:

"'De Orleans'? From what I understand, it seems to be the surname of a French nobleman."

Maher smiled slightly:
"Yes, indeed. I am a descendant of the House of Orleans of France."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yamata no Orochi smiled and took over the conversation:

"Katsura-kun, Takasugi-kun, Mr. Orleans is not a member of our Law Punishment Party."

"Simply put, he is an important ally of our Fazhu Party."

"He is the key to whether we can successfully throw the 'Amano Spear'!"

"The reason I came to you today is to introduce him to you."

Amanuma Spear… Upon hearing these words, Katsura and Takasugi’s expressions changed slightly.

Throwing "Amano Spear" is a code word within the Hozu Party. It means launching a battle plan with the code name "Amano Spear" and the ultimate goal of destroying the Edo Shogunate.

After forming an alliance with the Hozuku Party, Yamata no Orochi briefly told Katsura and Takasugi the general contents of the operation of the "Amanuma Spear".

After they heard this, they were so shocked that they broke out in a cold sweat and it took them a while to recover.

How to describe the "Amano Spear"?

In a word: bold! Really too bold! So bold that it's jaw-dropping!

While Katsura and Takasugi were horrified, they understood why the Fazhu Party was trying so hard to win over Choshu - if they wanted to successfully throw the "Amano Spear", they could not do without Choshu's assistance.

Yamata no Orochi noticed the strangeness in the two people's expressions, so he changed his tone to a half-joking one:
"Katsura-kun, Takasugi-kun, at this point, please don't tell me that you regret it and are unwilling to fight with us to the end."

Takasugi Shinsaku grinned:

"How could that be? Since I've already decided to have a big fight with you, I can only go all the way! Either I find a smooth path, or I'll hit a wall!"

Katsura Kogoro's expression became complicated when he heard this.

To call a plan bold… is another way of saying it’s risky!
The action plan of "Amano Spear" was bold and full of risks. If they were not careful, they would end up in a tragic situation from which there was no recovery. However, it was their only hope to stop the Shogunate's advance and preserve Choshu.

Therefore, despite having many concerns in their hearts, they could only grit their teeth and resolutely join the action plan of "Amano Spear".

At this point, they can no longer regret or withdraw.

Life or death, victory or defeat, it all depends on God's will!

At this moment, very suddenly, the Yamata-no-Orochi, which was safe and sound in the last second, suddenly opened its eyes wide and its expression changed abruptly.

Immediately afterwards——

“Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough, cough!!”

A violent cough that seemed to be vomiting out both lungs.

Yamata no Orochi coughed violently, his legs weakened, and he supported himself on the ground with his hands.

Accompanied by continuous coughing, a lot of sweat broke out on his forehead and his cheeks were as pale as paper.

Seeing this, the Niu Gui and Nu Nu on the side suddenly changed their faces and hurriedly bent down. The Niu Gui supported the Yamata no Orochi, and Nu Nu took a bamboo tube from her waist.

"Lord Orochi! Please drink some water!"

Nu Nu gently held the chin of the Yamata no Orochi with one hand, and slowly poured the clean water in the bamboo tube into its mouth with the other hand.

The strangeness of the Yamata no Orochi startled everyone at the scene.

However, Mael simply raised his eyebrows and then returned to normal, looking as if he was used to it. He did not offer any help, but just stood there, silently watching Nunu feed water to the Yamata no Orochi.

Katsura and Takasugi were extremely confused.

Takasugi Shinsaku couldn't help but ask:

"Hey, Snake, what's wrong with you?"

After drinking the water handed to it by Nunu, the condition of Yamata no Orochi improved a lot and its coughing gradually stopped.

However, his complexion was still ugly and pale as paper.

"I, I'm fine..."

After coughing, Yamata no Orochi's voice suddenly became extremely hoarse, as if it had aged a lot, just like an extremely old man.

There seemed to be extremely sticky phlegm stuck in his throat, and when he spoke, hoarse sounds like "huh", "huh", "huh", "huh" could be heard.

"Sorry for making you laugh."

He said this with a wry smile full of apology.

“It’s an old problem of mine.”

"Whenever I get sick, it's like what you just saw. My limbs become weak, my body becomes feeble, and my chest aches from coughing."

After hearing this, Katsura Kogoro frowned and said:

"I know a very skilled doctor. Do you want me to introduce him to you?"

Yamata no Orochi smiled and waved his hand.

"Hahaha, no need. I've seen countless doctors, and all of them said that my condition is incurable, so there's no need to waste time."

He was laughing, and his laughter was full of indifference and fearlessness.

But the Niu Gui and Nu Nu beside him showed sad expressions.

Nu Nu bit her lips tightly, looking as if she was about to cry.

Takasugi Shinsaku whispered softly:

"There is no cure... cough... is it 'blood cough'?"

Bloody cough - a terminal illness during the Edo period.

Patients suffering from this disease will cough constantly, and because they will cough up blood, it is called "bloody cough" or "red terminal disease".

There is currently no cure for this disease.

In other words, for those who unfortunately suffer from this disease, there is basically only one outcome: coughing to death!
In modern times, this disease has a widely known name - tuberculosis.

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PS: Maybe some readers have forgotten, so I would like to remind you: Maher is Elodie's father. I hope you all know this. It's embarrassing to say that even I have forgotten the name of Elodie's father... (BaoShuang.jpg)