Takasugi Shinsaku was still pondering when a feudal official from the courtyard of the private school came to him and told him that the feudal lord Mori Keiko was looking for him to discuss matters.

Arriving at the feudal lord's mansion, Mori Keiko and another young samurai were already waiting for him in the lobby of the feudal domain.

"Lord of the Domain!" Takasugi Shinsaku walked into the hall and greeted Mori Keikoto, only to find that the young samurai was none other than Katsura Kogoro, who was staying in Edo, apparently transporting the teacher's body back to Choshu.

"Jin Zuo, Mr.'s coffin has been temporarily buried in a hidden place, you can rest assured." Mori Jingqin comforted him, and then said with an ugly face: "It just so happens that Kogoro and Jinsaku are both here, and there is an urgent report from Kyoto, Zhou Bu and more than ten other of my Choshu feudal lords and more than 20 Shikoku, Tosa and other feudal lords were gathering at the hotel Ikedaya in Sanjokawara-cho, Kyoto, when they were raided by the shogunate's lackey samurai organization Shinsengumi, half of the feudal clans were poisoned, and although the rest fled, their whereabouts are unknown!" Not only was the strength of the Changzhou Domain greatly damaged, but even the entire Zun Wang Yi Alliance was also lost. Fortunately, Kogoro went to Edo and didn't go to Kyoto, otherwise, it would have been dangerous. ”

Although Maori was saddened by the death of Zhou Bu, an auxiliary feudal lord, he had calmed down at the moment. However, Takasugi Shinsaku was still shocked by the news.

"Shinsengumi? Who are these people? Domain lord, this revenge must be avenged! Takasugi Jinsaku felt a sharp pain in his heart, and he gritted his teeth. In summary, he was only a rookie, and he was only beginning to be accepted as a staff member by the feudal lord, and unlike the chief feudal priest who assisted the feudal lord, Zhou Bu, like Katsura Kogoro, advocated the most radical and direct formation of the feudal army to attack the shogunate and bring down the shogunate with arms. Takasugi Shinsaku, on the other hand, wanted to take more modest measures to reform and open the country, and then collapse in one fell swoop when he was sure of his strength. But even so, the tragic deaths of Zhou Bu and other radicals made him angry.

"The Shinsengumi are all ronin samurai who worked for the shogunate, and the leaders are Isamu Kondo and Toshizo Hijikata. Matsudaira Yoho, the guardian of Kyoto, appointed them to maintain law and order in Kyoto City, mainly against our royal clansmen. After Maori Jingqin explained, he turned his head to look at Katsura Kogoro, and now his chief feudal priest Zhou Bu Masanosuke died tragically, and the most famous one left is Katsura Kogoro, so he naturally asked him.

"Lord of the Domain, the shogunate is afraid that the Ikedaya incident will soon be used as an excuse to punish the feudal lord and the Choshu Domain. The first goal was to enter Kyoto and occupy the Kyoto area first, so that not only could there be fertile land and an abundant supply of feudal soldiers, but also the emperor could be protected and the shogunate could be conquered in the name of the emperor. By the way, I can also avenge the sacrificed vassals this time, and Lord Zhou Bu! Avenge Mr. Songyin! Katsura Kogoro couldn't wait to say it, and after speaking, he also glanced at Takasugi Shinsaku.

Takasugi Shinsaku naturally understood what Katsura Kogoro meant. As his friend, Gui Kogoro is also the godbrother recognized by his teacher, and he usually takes great care of him, Takasugi Jinsaku not only treats Gui Kogoro as an ordinary senior brother, but also as a teacher and friend as half a teacher. Now, in the face of the tragic death of the teacher, and in the face of the tragic death of Zhou Buzheng's help, these vassal warriors of the Zunwang Sect, what reason does he have for disagreeing?

So, Takasugi Shinsaku nodded fiercely: "Yes, what Brother Kogoro said is true!" Those ronins must be paid for in blood! And, as Brother Kogoro said, act quickly. Immediately send an envoy to contact the most important Shikoku feudal clan and other feudal states of the Imperial Empire, and send troops together, and also send people to spread rumors around those neutral feudal states, and even pretend to be the ronin samurai named Shinsengumi to attack the other neutral feudal lords stationed in Kyoto, so that the various feudal lords feel that the shogunate is going to deal with them, so that they will all be in danger, so that they will naturally join our team and deal with the shogunate together! In addition, we should abandon the slogan of rebellion and only claim to be the king, so as not to offend foreigners and powerful neighbors, so that on the one hand, we can buy new firearms from the Western powers and the Chinese Empire, and on the other hand, we can show goodwill to keep the Chinese Empire neutral and not help the shogunate, and even offer to lease the Kyushu Domain to them. When the shogunate is cleaned up, we will become stronger, and then we will take back Kyushu. ”

Katsura Kogoro frowned, he was a standard samurai, and he was unwilling to use such a conspiracy to calculate people, not to mention that Takasugi Jinsaku actually betrayed the entire island of Kyushu in order to keep the Chinese Empire from interfering. However, before he could speak, the lord of the domain, Mori Keiko, had already decided with appreciation, "Yes! Jinsaku's strategy is very good! In that case, Kogoro, Jin Saku, this domain will hand over the Choshu domain soldiers to the two of you to command. Kogoro governs the army internally, and Jin is external. It's about the survival of my Choshu Domain, so please! ”

Takasugi Shinsaku and Katsura Kogoro both had solemn faces, and saluted respectfully: "I am willing to serve the feudal lord to the death!" ”

Sending the feudal lord away, Katsura Kogoro sighed to Takasugi Shinsaku and said, "If only Ito were still in Choshu, he would be able to help me kill the enemy!" It's a pity that after the last battle with the Saga Domain, I didn't know where I went. I don't know if I was killed in battle, or was I captured? ”

Takasugi Jinsaku thought about that young man, and watched many of his close friends disappear one by one, and he couldn't help but feel sad in his heart, and he didn't know how many people with lofty ideals from the Choshu domain would die in the war on the way to fight the shogunate after tonight.

He had a faint sense of foreboding in his heart, and he always felt that this expedition was too hasty. But when he saw Gui Xiaogoro with a resolute face next to him, he suppressed the anxiety in his heart, and said loudly: "Brother Kogoro, my generation of samurai, only by sacrificing one's life to seek benevolence can I have peace of mind." Ito must have died in battle, and we should be proud of him! ”

Katsura Kogoro nodded and exclaimed, "What a sacrifice for benevolence!" Jin Zuo, you and I will work together to kill thieves, and we will be able to achieve great success! When the time comes, welcome the emperor to return to the throne and re-ascend to the throne, you and I will go down in history and live for generations! ”

He didn't notice that a trace of contempt and ruthlessness flashed in Takasugi Jinsaku's eyes.

......

Ten days later, outside the city of Kyoto. Flags are everywhere, war drums are thundering.

Under the leadership of the Chōshū feudal lord Mori Kekin, and with the cooperation of Yamauchi Toyonobu, the lord of the Shikoku domain, the two powerful feudal clans led nearly 50,000 feudal soldiers from dozens of feudal states, including other feudal clans and friendly feudal domains, to besiege Kyoto.

A few days ago, Tadayoshi Sakai, the director of the Kyoto Office, received a report from a spy that the Choshu feudal army was attacking Kyoto on a large scale. He was taken aback, and hurriedly shrunk all the imperial troops near Kyoto Prefecture back to Kyoto Castle to defend the city, and while asking for help from his neighbor Osaka, he summoned the troops of various feudal states near Kyoto Prefecture to rush to Kyoto to protect Tenryo and the Emperor, and at the same time urgently asked for help from the Shogun's Mansion in Edo.

The Kyoto Shogunate was the plenipotentiary representative of the Tokugawa Shogunate in Kyoto, responsible for the negotiations between the Shogunate and the Imperial Court, helping the Shogunate to monitor the Emperor and the various feudal forces in Kyoto, and transmitting the instructions of the Shogunate to the Imperial Court. However, there were not many troops in Kyoto, only about 5,000 soldiers from the Kuwana domain and the Kyoto Castle Defense. However, since the beginning of the fall of the feudal clans, the law and order in Kyoto was chaotic, and in order to maintain the security of Kyoto, Sakai Tadayoshi co-opted some ronin, led by samurai from Mibu, and formed more than a dozen ronin patrol organizations led by the Shinsengumi, which is also a large force.

The other feudal lords around Kyoto saw that the fallen shogunate was powerful, and before the shogunate army came, how could they wade into this troubled water, and they all delayed and did not move. Only Matsudaira Yobowa, the lord of the Aizu domain, led the army of Aizu to Kyoto, stationed his army at the Golden Ring Lighting Temple, and then entered Nijo Castle to meet the emperor.

Ninomaru Goten in Nijo Castle.

Emperor Komei looked at the daimyo in front of him with some excitement, it was Matsudaira Yoho, the lord of the Aizu Domain, who had always been loyal to him. Emperor Komei firmly grasped the hand of Matsudaira Rongbo, for this new Aizu feudal lord who was related to the Tokugawa Shogun's Mansion, he could openly express his support for himself, and when the fallen forces attacked Kyoto, he immediately led troops to escort him without saying a word, but he did not invite merit and arrogance, but he just stationed his troops in the Golden Ring Light Temple, which was far away from the imperial palace, and came to the imperial palace alone to meet him, and he was completely defenseless against himself, such a person was the most loyal, and he naturally felt something.

"Rong Bao, you also know that the royal family is also very poor, and they can't get expensive gifts and rewards. A piece of silk woven by the royal concubines, and a piece of feather weaving that I have sewn by my own hands, are given to you! Tongren only trusts you alone! Emperor Xiaoming said this, and his tone was low and sighing.

Behind him, a somewhat thin boy, followed by a personal samurai, holding a silk and a blue haori, looked at the burly Matsudaira with some curiosity, his eyes full of admiration.

Matsudaira Rongbao gently patted the six or seven-year-old boy on the shoulder, and said to Emperor Xiaomei: "Congratulations to Your Majesty, congratulations to Your Majesty, the crown prince has grown up!" ”

Seeing Matsudaira Rongbao talking about his son, Emperor Xiaomei was a little worried, and touched the boy's head lovingly: "Well, Muren of my family is seven years old!" Rong Bao, for some reason, I've been restless lately, afraid that something bad is going to happen. The most reassuring thing for me is Muren. As you know, Muhito had been living with his mother in the Yatamazu Mansion of the Hirado Domain, and only returned to me the year before last. He should have had a playful childhood, but he was born into a royal family and was caught in this world of cruel strife. ”

After speaking, he stared at Matsudaira Rongbo, pulled his son Muren violently, and half-knelt down towards him, making Matsudaira Rongbao panic and quickly knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing here? ......”