Chapter 895: The terminal disease of tuberculosis in the Edo period [6000]
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 units with acceptable strength are all gone.
The losses were so great that they could be said to have shaken the foundation of the country.
Of course, for Katsura Kogoro, Takasugi Shinsaku and others, compared with the loss of military power, the collapse of people's hearts is the most troublesome trouble.
"Respect the king and repel the barbarians" has always been the unswerving administrative philosophy of the Changshu senior officials, and it is also the biggest political correctness in the Changshu domain.
It was by relying on the slogan "Support the imperial court and expel the barbarians and Di" that they were able to unite the major classes in Changzhou and deal with the outside world in unison.
But the result... After touting the "Soul of Changzhou" for so many years, it has never been put to use.
Facing the powerful ships and artillery of the Western powers and the iron hoofs of the Shinsengumi, the Choshu soldiers who struggled to exert their "Choshu Soul" always had only one end: to be ruthlessly crushed!
From the "Shimonoseki War" to the "Ikedaya Incident" to the "Kyoto Summer Formation", they suffered defeat after defeat, and the defeat became more and more miserable.
Faced with the poor results of repeated defeats, no matter how tough the radicals are, they have no shame in talking about the "soul of Changshu" or "cutting warships with samurai swords".
Today, with the deaths of Gensui Kusaka and others, the radical faction that has lost the support of the people has completely lost power.
In this way, the radicals with extreme ideas and cruel methods completely withdrew from the center of power in Changzhou, and could no longer make any waves.
The conservative faction led by Katsura Kogoro and Takasugi Shinsaku replaced him and fully took over the power of Choshu - this should be regarded as the only good thing for Choshu in recent years.
Although Katsura and Takasugi are both novices in running the country, they are already much better than before.
At the very least, the country is now run by normal people.
For a long time, there has been a conservative force within Changzhou that cannot be underestimated.
After the radicals lost power, not only the conservative faction represented by Katsura and Takasugi came to power, but the conservatives also rose up.
Their party was originally opposed to any words and deeds that attacked the imperial court and the shogunate, and they were known as the "secular theory faction".
“Political inertia” has been a common occurrence throughout the ages.
Although the crotch-stretching performance of the shogunate in recent years is obvious to the world, the psychological weaknesses accumulated over the past two hundred years cannot be eliminated simply by eliminating them.
The powerful image of the shogunate, which ruled Japan and no princes in the world dared to disobey, was deeply engraved in the hearts of the older ministers.
Even though they knew that the strength of the shogunate was far less than before, many people still feared the shogunate and were unwilling to become enemies of the shogunate.
Of course, many of these conservatives are pure "long-time traitors."
Most of these guys are related to the shogunate, and they naturally put their own interests above those of Changshu.
The leader of the conservatives in Choshu is named Muri Tota.
Regarding the "Changzhou Expedition" that the shogunate was about to launch, Katsura and Takasugi had a very heated debate with Makuri Touta and others.
The conservative opinion is simple: surrender.
Makuri Tota and others said:
Those three who had strongly advocated "conquering the capital and retaking the emperor" completely angered the shogunate's elders - Fukuda Echigo, Kuniji Shinano, and Masudaemonsuke - to commit seppuku.
Then, the lord, Mouri Kei, was asked to personally wear the white clothes that represented surrender, face the east, that is, the direction of the Edo shogunate, kowtow to admit his mistake, and submit a surrender form to pray for the generosity of the shogunate.
Anyway, "just do it like this" is a piece of iron trash without any opinion, and no one will care about it.
Even if he were 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 respond to the shogunate's Western Expedition, they did not even invite Mori Yoshiuchi to attend.
It can be seen how useless the lord of Changzhou is. Even his own ministers look down on him.
Muri Tota and others believed that the shogunate would not kill all Choshu.
After all, Changzhou is a powerful vassal of the Western Kingdom. Even though it has suffered heavy losses, it still has a certain amount of combat power.
If the two sides really break up and fight to the death, even if the shogunate wins in the end, they will definitely pay a heavy price and the gains will not be worth the losses.
Preferring political victory to military victory was the traditional skill of the Edo shogunate.
As long as we keep our stance low enough and give the shogunate enough face, we will be able to turn the crisis around.
To sum up, we must not go to war with the shogunate.
Regarding the discussion made by Mikiri Tota and others, Katsura and Takasugi’s response was simple—ridiculous! It's so ridiculous!
Takasugi Shinsaku, who has a hot temper, directly refuted:
"Kowling down will not buy peace! Do you think the shogunate will spare us if we kneel down?"
Although Katsura Kogoro is a gentle and elegant person, when faced with the conservatives' retarded speeches, he mocked him unceremoniously:
"You actually pin your hopes of survival on the mercy of your enemies! I really blush for you!"
Ever since they learned that the shogunate was preparing to launch the "Changzhou Expedition", Katsura and Takasugi had never stopped collecting relevant intelligence.
Based on all the information currently known, they have determined that the shogunate's western expedition is aimed at annihilating them!
No matter which angle you analyze it from, this massive offensive that mobilized 200,000 troops is genuine and is definitely not meant to scare them.
The shogunate is determined to destroy them this time. How can it stop the attack because of your humiliation?
Taking a step back and thinking about it, even if the shogunate really spared Changzhou, it would definitely be inevitable to reduce the feudal status and change the status, and the country would be ruined.
Surrendering is definitely 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 contradiction between the two sides is difficult to reconcile.
People from the two groups were quarreling fiercely, and their faces were red and their necks were thick.
However, the debate did not last long.
Youdao says, "Political power comes from the barrel of a gun."
Shinsaku Takasugi has a powerful team called the Raiders.
At the same time, he and Katsura Kogoro are both powerful swordsmen who can rival a hundred.
On the other hand, the conservatives...not to mention completely obeying their army, they don't even have a strong, brave and good swordsman under their command.
Facts have proved that weapons of criticism cannot replace weapons of criticism after all.
In this way, Katsura and Takasugi successfully "persuaded" the conservatives and suppressed the spread of the "wind of surrender."
Although Maori Qingqing is a piece of iron waste that has no sense of existence and has no practical effect, the process must still be followed.
Katsura and Takasugi submitted a request to Mouri Qingqin to "work together as one to resist the shogunate forces."
Then, the other party said loudly as expected:
"Okay, let's do it!"
At this point, Changzhou has finally unified his thinking and decided to fight to the end.
Now that we have decided to fight against the shogunate, the next thing to do is very simple: seize the time to build fortifications and strengthen war preparations!
The surprise force created by Shinsaku Takasugi is the last remaining armed force in Choshu.
The elite team, which is deeply westernized and can skillfully use guns, certainly has impressive combat power.
But... a mere 2,000 troops, facing the 200,000 troops that are about to attack, there is indeed a slight gap in terms of the size of the troops...
The country is in dire straits and defeat is imminent - this phrase is really suitable to describe the current situation of Changzhou.
…
…
Changzhou, the school ground of the Qi soldiers——
"Kill ah ah ah ah!"
"That's right! We need this momentum! Try to maintain this momentum!"
"Hey! Who told you to rest?! When it's time to fight, will the shogunate let you lie down and rest?"
"Hurry up! Move faster!"
"I can't swing my sword! I can't shoot accurately! I'm loose on my feet! I'm slow to react! Do you think you can defeat Tachibana Aoden?!"
…
On the school ground of the Raiders - a large, flat dirt field without even a single weed, you can see soldiers training hard everywhere.
Those running, forming formations, practicing musketry... it was all in full swing
What’s interesting is that they put extra force on the ground when they hit the ground.
The reason is that the words "Qin Yao", "Hui Jie", "Sa Thief", "Ju Qingdeng" and "Orange Dog" are written on the soles of their shoes.
Whenever they step hard on the soles of their shoes, they will feel the pleasure of "revenge".
…
…
Somewhere in the school grounds——
Katsura Kogoro stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the soldiers who were intensifying their training with an expressionless face.
Beside him, Takasugi Shinsaku was carrying his inseparable shamisen and grinned:
"Gui, how are you? The training results are quite gratifying, right?"
"To be fair, even as picky as I am, I can't find any flaws."
Katsura Kogoro nodded slightly in agreement.
Most of the members of the Qi Corps are passionate people with lofty ideals who care about the country and the people.
Facing the upcoming war and the overwhelming disadvantageous situation of being outnumbered and outnumbered, they not only showed no fear, but also had high morale.
Therefore, they trained harder and even took the initiative to practice more, and the whole team burst out with amazing morale.
At this moment when Katsura and Takasugi were silently watching the training——
"Oh! What a good team! The training effect is really gratifying!"
Suddenly, a smiling middle-aged male voice came from behind them:
Katsura Kogoro and Takasugi Shinsaku both turned to look——
Before the person arrives, the stomach arrives first.
Yamata no Orochi held out his huge belly and swaggered towards them.
Looking at Yamata no Orochi who suddenly appeared, Katsura Kogoro and Takasugi Shinsaku showed complicated expressions in unison.
In the previous debate to persuade conservatives, although the two of them said a lot of nice things, it seemed that as long as they continued to fight, the crisis would be averted.
But in fact, Katsura Kogoro and the others know better than anyone that Choshu alone will never be able to defeat the Tokugawa army without the help of external forces!
No matter how hard the Qi soldiers worked and how hard they intensified their training, they could not withstand the massive attack of 200,000 troops with only 2,000 troops.
Today's Changzhou has become a rat crossing the street, and everyone is shouting to beat it.
Almost all the vassal states walked around them and were unwilling to lend a helping hand to them.
Even the businessmen in Osaka were unwilling to lend them any more money.
Therefore, the only force that can and is willing to help them right now is the Fa Zhu Party.
To be honest, neither Katsura Kogoro nor Takasugi Shinsaku are willing to deal with the Hoshino Party.
But in order to protect Changzhou, 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 Hōsū Party, Yamata-no-Orochi has often come to "sleep through the door", sometimes alone, sometimes accompanied by a few companions such as Otake Maru and Tamamo Mae.
Today, there are two men and one woman following him.
Katsura Kogoro looked up and found that these three people were all faces he had never seen before.
The woman was very young and could only be considered a "girl" at best.
She has fair skin, a beautiful face, a slender figure, and well-proportioned limbs. She is considered a beauty.
It is worth mentioning that his costume is very distinctive.
Wearing a kimono with two sleeves cut off, the hem was also specially cut short to the middle of the thigh. There were no shoes or socks on her two little feet, only a pair of thick footbags.
This outfit not only shows coolness, but also exudes a sense of competence from beginning to end.
At first glance, it seems that the clothes have been specially changed into a shape that is easy to move around.
Such attire, coupled with the woman's steady and powerful steps and light waist... So Katsura Kogoro made a conclusion: she should be the kind of female ninja who is proficient in body skills and has nimble and quick hands and feet.
As for the two men who also followed Yamata no Orochi, they were also very distinctive.
One of them was a tall, thick-set man with long hair hanging casually on his back.
During the Edo period, it was quite rare for men to have such waist-length hair.
In comparison, another male talent surprised Katsura Kogoro—this man was actually a Westerner!
He has blond hair, sky-blue eyes, and deep facial features that are very different from those of Asians. He is about 40 years old, handsome in appearance, and has a short beard on his chin.
As soon as this Westerner appeared, he instantly attracted the attention of Gui and Takasugi.
At this moment, they asked the same question:
——Are there any Westerners among the members of the Fa Zhu Party?
Just when they were secretly confused, Yamata no Orochi made a timely introduction:
"Kisui-kun, Takasugi-kun, please allow me to introduce you."
He said, turning slightly to get out of sight.
Then, he pointed at the strong man and the girl.
"These two are my most beloved generals, Niu Gui and Ru Nu!"
As soon as Yamata no Orochi finished speaking, the strong man and the girl... that is, the cow ghost and the naughty girl, nodded.
Katsura and Takasugi both nodded in response.
As an outstanding talent of Yunwen and Yunwu, Katsura Kogoro naturally knew the allusions related to cow ghosts and virgin girls.
Ushiki and Wenyou - the legendary "yokai partners" in Japan.
The cow ghost is a vicious sea monster. Its head is in the shape of a cow, and its body is like a giant spider or crab. It is good at using poison and will often spray venom from its mouth to launch attacks.
When talking about cow ghosts, they are usually mentioned together with another similar type of monster - that is the nun.
Runu refers to a monster with the head of a woman and the body of a snake.
Niu Gui often acts with Ru Nu. Ru Nu disguised herself as a woman with wet hair and deceived passers-by, offering her as food to the cow ghost.
Since they can use monsters as their nicknames, these two people are naturally qualified cadres with tattoos.
As far as Katsura Kogoro knew, the tattoos worn by the cadres of the Punishment Party were not randomly tattooed, but all had intriguing and profound meanings.
While Katsura Kogoro looked at the couple, he thought of the legend that "Ushi Oni and Ninyu often travel together"... He couldn't help but think to himself: What was the reason why they were given the names "Ushi Oni" and "Unu Oni"? "Wet girl"?
At this time, Yamata no Orochi's words brought his consciousness back to reality.
Then he saw Yamata no Orochi moving his finger and pointing at the Westerner.
"This one is my important partner! Maher d'Orléans! From France across the ocean!"
Maher bowed slightly, bowed to Katsura and Takasugi without any faults, and said in Japanese:
"This is my first time meeting you. I'm Marel d'Orléans. Please give me your advice."
Although he has some accent, he is extremely fluent.
It was the first time that Katsura Kogoro and Takasugi Shinsaku met a Westerner who could speak Japanese so well and was so elegant in speech, they couldn't help but be slightly startled.
Takasugi Shinsaku frowned slightly and asked:
"'De Orleans'? As far as I know, this seems to be the surname of a French nobleman."
Maher smiled slightly:
"Yes, it is true. I am a descendant of the Orleans family of France."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yamata-no-Orochi chuckled and took over:
"Kui-kun, Takasugi-kun, and Mr. Orleans are not members of our Punishment Party."
"Simply put, he is an important ally of our Fuzhi Party."
"He is the key to whether we can successfully throw the 'Amanuma Spear'!"
"The reason why I came to you today is to introduce him to you."
Amanuma Spear... After hearing this word, the expressions of Gui and Takasugi changed slightly.
Throw the "Tiannuma Spear" - the code word within the Fa Zun Party. It means launching this battle plan, codenamed "Amanuma Spear", with the ultimate goal of destroying the Edo shogunate.
After forming an alliance with the Hōsū Party, Yamata no Orochi told Katsura and Takasugi the general contents of the "Amanuma Spear" operation in a concise and concise manner.
After they heard this, they suddenly broke out in cold sweat! It took a while before he calmed down.
How to describe "Amanuma Spear"?
In a word: Be bold! It's so bold! Jaw-droppingly bold!
While Katsura and Takasugi were shocked, they finally understood why the Hōsū Party was desperately trying to win over Choshu - if they were to successfully throw the "Amanuma Spear", Choshu's assistance was indispensable.
Yamata no Orochi noticed the difference in their expressions, so he changed into a half-joking tone:
"Kui-kun, Takasugi-kun, now that things have happened, please don't tell me that you regretted it and are unwilling to fight with us to the end."
Takasugi Shinsaku grinned:
"How could that be? Since we have decided to have a big fight with you, we can only go all the way! Either we find a smooth road or we run into a wall!"
Katsura Kogoro's expression became complicated when he heard this.
To say that a plan is bold... is another way to say it is very risky!
The action plan of "Ama-numa Spear" is indeed bold and full of risks. If they are not careful, they will end up in a tragic end, but this is their only hope to stop the front of the shogunate and preserve Choshu.
Therefore, despite their many concerns, they can only grit their teeth and resolutely join the action plan of "Ama-numa Spear".
At this point, they can no longer regret or withdraw.
Life or death, victory or defeat, all depends on God's will!
At this moment, very suddenly, the Yamata-no-Orochi, who was still safe and sound in the last second, suddenly opened his eyes wide and his expression suddenly changed.
Then——
"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough!!"
A violent cough that seemed to vomit out both lungs.
Yamata no Orochi coughed violently, while his legs softened and he supported himself with his hands.
Along with the continuous coughing, a lot of sweat came out of his forehead, and his cheeks were as pale as paper.
Seeing this, the cow ghost and the nun girl on the side suddenly changed their faces and leaned down hurriedly. The cow ghost supported Yamata no Orochi, and the nun girl took a bamboo tube from her waist.
"Lord Orochi! Please drink water!"
The nun girl gently held Yamata no Orochi's chin with one hand, and slowly poured the clear water in the bamboo tube into the other's mouth with the other hand.
Yamata no Orochi's strangeness scared everyone at the scene.
However, Maer only raised his eyebrows and recovered as before, looking as if he was used to it. He did not help, just stood there, silently watching the nun girl feed Yamata no Orochi water.
Katsura and Takasugi were confused.
Takasugi Shinsaku couldn't help asking:
"Hey, Orochi, what's wrong with you?"
After drinking the water handed by Nunu, Yamata Orochi's condition improved a lot, and the cough gradually stopped.
However, his face was still ugly and pale as paper.
"I, I'm fine..."
After coughing, Yamata Orochi's voice suddenly became extremely hoarse, as if he had aged a lot, like an old man.
It seemed that there was a very sticky phlegm stuck in his throat, and when he spoke, he would make a hoarse sound of "ho", "ho", "ho", "ho".
"Sorry, I made you laugh."
He said with an apologetic smile.
"This is my old problem."
"Whenever I get sick, it's like what you just saw, my limbs become weak, my whole body becomes powerless, and my chest hurts from coughing."
After hearing this, Katsura Kogoro frowned and said:
"I know a doctor with great medical skills. Do you need me to introduce him to you?"
Yamata no Orochi smiled and waved his hand.
"Hahaha, no need. I've seen countless doctors a long time ago, and all of them said that my disease is incurable, so there's no need to waste time."
He was laughing. His laughter was full of indifference and fearlessness.
But the Ushiki and Nunyu beside him showed sad expressions.
Nunyu bit her lips tightly, looking like she was about to cry.
Takasugi Shinsaku whispered softly:
"Incurable...coughing...is it 'blood cough'?"
Blood cough - a terminal illness in the Edo period.
Patients with this disease will cough continuously, and because they will cough up blood, it is called "blood cough" or "red terminal illness".
There is no good medicine to cure this disease.
In other words, people who are unfortunately suffering from this disease basically have only one end: coughing to death!
In modern times, this disease has a well-known name - tuberculosis.
Please vote for the monthly ticket! Please recommend! (Leopard Head Cry.jpg)
Today is another 6,000-page update for Leopard! Book friends who have monthly tickets, please be sure to vote for this book! (Tears Leopard Head.jpg)
PS: Some book friends may have forgotten, Leopard Leopard reminds you: Maher is Elodie's father, please know. It's embarrassing to say that even Leopard Leopard has forgotten the name of Elodie's father... (Leopard.jpg)