Ryoma had already gone to Satsuma, while Samura stayed around Kyoto, observing everything that happened.
The anti-barbarian faction became increasingly restless due to the suppression of the public-military integration faction.
Finally, in February, some radical elements of the anti-barbarian faction could no longer restrain their actions.
They planned an assassination.
The target... The shogun's staunchest supporter and one of the core figures of the public-military union faction - Nobumasa Anto.
But they failed.
Being radical makes people head over heels, but once it is too radical, it will be full of mistakes.
An Tengxinzheng was only stabbed in the arm and did not die.
Zuo Cun also did not want to see An Tengxinzheng die, because Anteng Xinzheng was obviously more useful alive than dead.
But what Nobumasa Anten did next shocked the whole of Kyoto and even Japan.
The general, Tokugawa Iemo, supported him most firmly and applied to Tokugawa Iemo for retirement.
Tokugawa Iemo thought for a long time, and finally agreed to Nobumasa Itami's retirement.
"Expel the barbarians, expel the barbarians." Tokugawa Iemo kept repeating this word, not knowing what he was thinking.
An Tengxin was stabbed, which proved that the security of Kyoto has reached a level that cannot be ignored.
"The feudal soldiers must perform their respective duties. The coastline is extremely tense now. It is simply not advisable to allocate manpower to maintain the safety of Kyoto." Tokugawa Iemo's health has also begun to decline. He has become sick from overwork and has a weak spirit. He is already somewhat desperate.
.
"...I want to go see the Emperor..." In the end, Tokugawa Iemo made this decision.
...
Kyoto's security was not just a problem for Shogun Tokugawa Iemo.
Today's Kyoto is no longer safe. Various forces are mixed together, hiding dangers. Several corpses can be found in dark alleys every day, including civilians, officials, and occasionally big shots. People are panicked and everyone is afraid of themselves.
Be the next one.
The top officials of the shogunate urgently discussed countermeasures. After all, no one wanted to lie cold in a dark alley the next day.
After nearly two months of discussion, the suggestion put forward by a loyal leader of Shouchi Domain, Kiyokawa Hachiro, was finally adopted by the shogunate.
Openly recruit ronin to form the general's escort to ensure the safety of Kyoto.
Kondo Isamu and Hijikata Toshizo, who were far away in Edo, heard the news, and their eyes lit up.
"Hijikata, our opportunity has come."
Kondo Isamu patted the paper with the information written on it and looked a little excited.
Hijikata touched his ears and said with a smile: "I had expected such a day for a long time, but I didn't expect it to come earlier than I thought."
Isamu Kondo pushed open the door of the trial defense hall: "Hey, Souji, come out."
Okita Souji, who was training the disciples of Natural Rishin-ryu, seemed a little reluctant: "Huh? What are you doing? I'm training."
"Big deal, our opportunity has come."
"...Oh." Souji Okita was still a little reluctant, but he still walked out.
"You can train freely and don't relax." She turned to look at Okita Rintaro, "Master, come and watch them."
"Ah, yes!" Okita Rintaro did not dare to refute.
Souji Okita sighed.
"This is news from Kyoto. Because the security of Kyoto has reached the extreme level, they want to take gentle measures towards us ronin and recruit some lower-level samurai into the shogunate to maintain the safety of Kyoto."
Okita Souji looked at Isamu Kondo who was talking endlessly and Hijikata Toshizo who was standing aside and smiling without saying a word.
A sentence came to mind.
"You have always had Shimazaki and Hijikata make decisions for you."
...
"General Director? General Director?"
"Huh? Huh?" Souji Okita suddenly woke up.
"What's wrong with you? You don't seem to be in good spirits. You were in a daze just now." Kondo Isamu looked at the little sister strangely.
"It's nothing, I'm just thinking about what you just said." Souji Okita touched his face, his eyes dim.
Have I really been Kondo and Hijikata making decisions for me?
"So what do you think?" Kondo asked Okita for his opinion.
"My opinion......"
Mr. Samura, you still said something wrong.
From then until now, the decisions I have made have only been handed over to Kondo and Hijikata because of my trust.
I'm not a machine that can't think and only knows how to swing a sword.
I made this decision myself.
"There are enough people in the Trial Guard Hall to fight, so...just answer this call."
"I've been waiting for your words!" Kondo Isamu chuckled, put his arm around Hijikata Tozo's shoulders, and discussed the details.
Okita looked at Isamu Kondo and Toshizo Hijikata, and then at Rintaro Okita and Genzaburo Inoue in the gym.
As well as Saito Kazuo and Nagakura Shinpachi.
"Kondo, Hijikata." Souji Okita called out.
The two people turned around: "What's wrong, Okita?"
"We...were right, right?"
"...Hmm." Toshizo Hijikata answered firmly.
...
Samura and Souna are cooking.
Soina learned to cook a long time ago.
The location where the two people are now is Rensheng Village, but it is not Rensheng Temple.
Zuocun built a small house with three rooms not far from Rensheng Temple, and the two of them lived in it like father and daughter.
"Mr. Samura, can you tell me... about the girl you like?" Souna said cautiously.
"Pfft, cough, cough—" Zuo Cun was choked directly.
"Why are you asking this?" He patted his chest and coughed twice.
"I just want to...understand more." Zheng Nai wrapped her hair around her fingertips, not knowing what she was thinking.
"..." Samura looked at Souna.
"Then... let me tell you." Zuo Cun put down his chopsticks and put his hands on his knees, with nostalgia in his eyes.
"My life was started by that girl."
"I don't have any memory before the age of fifteen. Inexplicably, I have been wandering in Mutsu since I woke up in the Shirakawa Domain." Samura spoke slowly to Koike Sogna about his and Okita's past.
After hearing the whole story, Koike Souna burst into tears.
"Mr. Samura, is belief really that important?" Koike Souna was a little excited, "Obviously, as long as you let go of your belief, you can be with Miss Okita."
"Souna." Samura looked at Souna's face without looking into her eyes, "Faith is something more important than life."
"This is a troubled world and someone needs to save it."
"If the troubled times do not end, the tragedy of you, me, and Miss Okita will happen to more people and more families."
"I want to be the one who ends the troubled times, so..."
"I understand." Shina nodded with tears in her eyes.
She still didn't understand it after all, but she knew that Zuocun had more important things to do.
At this moment, a dark shadow landed in front of Zuocun and Souna's hut.