I started with the Shinsengumi in Bakumatsu

Chapter 70: Willing to Negotiate with the Ministers of the Four Countries as an Envoy
After the court's punishment edict against the Choshu Domain was delivered to the Choshu Domain, it caused a fierce quarrel within the Choshu Domain.

However, within the domain, the anti-barbarian faction held real power, and there were radical anti-barbarian factions such as Hisaka Genzui, Kushima Matabei, etc., so the conservatives in the domain did not dare to speak.

The quarrels within the Choshu clan originated from the disputes within the anti-barbarian faction.

Hisaka Genzui glared at Takasugi Shinsaku and shouted: "This edict is fake. The emperor must have been deceived by the traitors. Everything we did in Kyoto and Shimonoseki was for the emperor and to fight against the barbarians!

What's wrong with my lord?This is all slander from the shogunate. We cannot allow the emperor to be controlled by the traitors. At this moment, the best way is to raise troops to Luo, meet with the emperor, and directly express our lord's grievances! "

Takasugi Shinsaku earnestly persuaded: "Xuanrui, why do you put your hope in the imperial court? Yes, the emperor has said that we should fight against the barbarians, but he hopes that the shogunate will take the lead, not our Changshu!"
Now that Changshu has returned to the vassal, why should we continue to swim in this muddy water? Moreover, I think that what we should do now is to open a port, reform the vassal government, and enhance the strength of our Changshu domain. When the Changshu domain has strong soldiers and horses, the country will be rich and the people will be strong. On that day, the army rose and fell, and reforming Japan was just around the corner. "

Maki Izumi said: "Master Takasugi said good things, but there is one thing. This progress is too slow. Now we are waiting for no time. No one knows where the traitor will take Japan?"

Kusaka Genrui couldn't wait any longer. He waved his hand and said, "Forget it, Mr. Takasugi, just leave this matter alone."

Kurushima Matabei smiled and said: "That's right, you are a coward who is in charge of the Choshu Domain. I'm afraid that Choshu will..."

Kusaka Genrui raised his hand and interrupted: "Kurushima-sama!"

"Hmph!" Kurushima Matabei snorted and stopped talking.

Seeing that several people were stubborn, Takasugi Shinsaku could only sigh and finally advised: "Xuan Rui, two years ago, I was ordered by the feudal lord to arrive in Shanghai. The power of Shanghai can be said to be that of a British vassal.

Not only that, foreign merchant ships compete in the Tianjin Port, foreign commercial shops line up in the streets, groups of sailors disembark from warships to perform tasks, and the Waibaidu Bridge on the Suzhou River is only open to foreigners free of charge...

The great country fell to this point because the Qing Dynasty did not build warships that could travel thousands of miles, nor did it build cannons that could defend the enemy from miles away. It also made the "Hai Guo Tu Zhi" translated by its patriots out of print. Time flies in vain, advocating the theory of being stubborn.

And the imperial court and shogunate are so similar to the Qing emperor. If this continues, who can guarantee that our country will not encounter a situation like the Qing Dynasty?Xuan Rui, relying on the Emperor is not reliable. "

Hisaka Genzui was a little shaken, but Kushima Matabei turned a deaf ear to this kind words and only said: "Takasugi, don't talk nonsense anymore, get out of here quickly!"

Takasugi Shinsaku looked at Kusaka Genrui, Kusaka Genrui hesitated, Takasugi Shinsaku could only leave.

Katsura Kogoro was in Kyoto and did not know the situation of the Choshu Domain. Coupled with Takasugi Shinsaku's efforts to persuade him to no avail, it was inevitable that the Choshu Domain would raise troops to attack Luo.

……

Half a month has passed since the [-]th of the first lunar month to today. A few days ago, the Satsuma Domain sent a batch of foreign guns to Yagyu and stated that a new batch of foreign guns would arrive within ten days at most.

Yagyu had already distributed foreign guns to make the infantry team familiar with the Enfield 1853 rifled gun.

Today, the emperor summoned Yagyu, and Hitotsubashi Keiki was also there.

The emperor said: "My dear Yagyu, the shogunate agrees to open ports in Kobe, Hyogo and Sakai, but the Western envoys may not agree."

Hitotsubashi was happy to hand over the problem directly to the court. Yagyu understood that the shogunate was retreating in order to advance, trying to get the court to sign terms that were degrading to the dignity of the country to suppress the reputation of the court.

Yagyu felt that this was also an opportunity to revive the reputation of the imperial court.

"His Majesty the Emperor, I am willing to come forward to negotiate with the foreigners!"

Kazuhashi Keixi was secretly happy, as long as you, Yagyu, don't have a good deal with you, your life will be at stake this time!
Emperor Xiaomei said with some worry: "These people are not easy to get along with. Yagyu Aiqing can do what he can."

Yagyu saluted and said: "Your Majesty the Emperor, in order for the negotiation to proceed smoothly, I hope that the negotiation time can be set in July. During this time, I will learn English and French to avoid mistakes during the negotiation process."

The reason why he chose this time was because of the Forbidden Gate incident and the Ikedaya incident in June. At that time, the ministers from the four countries would arrive in Kyoto in advance under his arrangement to witness these two major events.

Yagyu will use the influence of these two events to gain some benefits for the court, at least to make the opening of the port sound better.Ichihashi Yingxi shook his head secretly. This Yagyu Heiyan is really whimsical. How to master two foreign languages ​​in half a year will definitely make a fool of himself.

Emperor Komei immediately said to Hitotsubashi Keiki: "King, Hitotsubashi, let the shogunate and the foreigners speak to each other and send some translators to teach Yagyu Ai."

"I accept the decree!" Ichihashi bowed his head and saluted.

After a while, Yagyu and Hitotsubashi Keiki left the palace together.

Ichihashi Yingxi said with a smile on his face: "Servant Yagyu is really brave and courageous. He dares to take on such a thing alone."

Yagyu said calmly: "Why did Mr. Hitotsubashi say this? Aren't the burdens of the shogunate also on you alone? But, Mr. Hitotsubashi, you could have done better, so why bother to stick to the form of the shogunate? Tokugawa The family can survive in another way."

Ichihashi Kexi's face was furious, and he glared at Yagyu and said: "Yagyu Xiyan, how dare you speak such arrogant words? Do you really think that the shogunate does not dare to kill you!"

Yagyu shook his head slightly and said: "Master Hitotsubashi, since the Kamakura shogunate to the present, the Tokugawa shogunate is already the third shogunate, right?
The ringing of the bells of Gion Abode reminds us of the impermanence of the world.

The flowers of the two trees of Sala have lost their color, and those that flourished have turned into decline like the vicissitudes of life.

Arrogance, extravagance and debauchery do not last long, just like a dream on a spring night.

The tyranny of strong beams is finally destroyed, just like dust in the wind.

Mr. Hitotsubashi, it’s time for the shogunate to change and stop sticking to the past. "

Hitotsubashi was speechless for a moment. He looked at Yagyu going away and murmured: "Is this the end of the Tokugawa family?"

At this moment, he thought of Tokugawa Iemo in Edo, and of Matsudaira Yōho who persisted despite his illness.

"I can't give up unless I have to. Yagyu Sheeyan, you have your moral principles, and I have my persistence!"

Hitotsubashi was happy to firm up his steps and left the palace.

The shogunate's concession made the court's prestige rise again, and Yagyu's reputation became famous throughout the world.

"To make such a traitor famous, wow!"

Yoshida Nomo muttered angrily while sitting at the noodle stall.

"Mr. Gui, why aren't you here yet?"

"Guest officer, your face."

Yoshida Minoru took the pottery bowl, picked up the chopsticks, took a bite and ate it, frowning: "Boss, you didn't put any salt?"

The boss lifted the cloth on his head and said with some embarrassment: "Sorry, Yoshida, I'm not very skilled yet."

"Mr. Katsura..." Yoshida Minoru looked at Katsura Kogoro dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.

Katsura Kogoro put down his turban and said, "Being a beggar always makes me hungry, so I had to ask Isamatsu to help me get a noodle stall so that I can run around. By the way, what do you want from me?"

Yoshida Minoru whispered: "Someone wanted to cooperate with us before to assassinate Yagyu Battousai with a foreign gun. We have been unable to contact him recently, but Kusaka sent us the news and asked us to do it ourselves."

　Thanks to Ink Steel Magic Butterfly, a reward of [-] for a part of the journey!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)