"Since it was Ryoma who called you here, that means... you are worthy of belief." Takasugi Shinsaku glanced at Ryoma.
Ryoma nodded slightly.
Zuo Cun is absolutely trustworthy, but as for Izo... he may not understand.
Gao Shan smiled and nodded: "Now, those people from all over the country who are shouting against the foreigners have gathered in Changzhou, but..."
"My views on the rejection of foreigners..."
Takasugi Shinsaku snorted: "It's impossible, but it's still a useful tool."
"Now the shogunate is on the verge of collapse. General Tokugawa Iemoge tried his best but was unable to prevent the decline of the shogunate. My thinking... is to destroy and then build."
"Use the name of resisting the foreigners to use military operations to create a real separatist situation and establish a real new government."
"do you understand?"
Samura and Ryoma looked at each other.
The four of them, together with Izo who was confused, Zuomura and Ryoma looked at Takasugi excitedly: "From today on, you are our best friend!"
"Huh?" Takasugi and Izo were confused together.
...
63 years passed quickly.
At the end of 1863, led by Sakamoto Ryoma and Okada Izo, the patriotic figures of the Tosa Domain, and Anno Samura, the patriotic figure of the Shirakawa Domain, established a trading company called "Kameyama Shachu" in Nagasaki.
Communicate with each other and engage in various buying and selling activities.
Zuocun's place of origin was included in the Shirakawa Domain after he killed the Tenyin Ghost. However, Zuocun announced his separation from the feudal clan within a few days, and the people of Shirakawa Domain would not go through the trouble of arresting Zuocun.
During this period, Tokugawa Iemogo petitioned Kyoto several times and maintained contact with Emperor Takaaki.
In recent years, due to the implementation of various policies, Tokugawa Iemo almost lives in Kyoto.
After the Shinsengumi went through an internal purge, it returned to calm, and Isamu Kondo's position has been completely stabilized.
There are just a few missing members, nothing has changed from before.
At the end of 1863, the Shinsengumi once again eliminated several spies planted by the Choshu Domain's anti-barbarian elements.
One day, Souji Okita entered the morgue to inspect the corpses and chose a day to bury the spies who committed seppuku.
The body had been lying here for some time and gave off a stench.
Okita Souji rubbed his nose and frowned: "Let's bury it sometime. If we put it down here, it will probably rot."
"Yes, I understand."
"Ahem, this smells really bad, I'm going out first." Souji Okita coughed twice and walked out of the morgue.
...
"Cough cough cough!" Souji Okita covered his chest.
The bodies of those spies have been buried for more than a month now, but Souji Okita feels increasingly uncomfortable.
"You have a cough, but I'm not sure what kind of cough it is." A doctor shook his head.
Okita Souji just asked the doctor a question: "Will it affect my drawing of the sword?"
The doctor was stunned and shook his head: "At least not in a short time."
"That's fine." Souji Okita stood up and left.
She doesn't have much money, because the Shinsengumi's salary is distributed by the Aizu clan, and now due to various things, bandits are rampant, and it is difficult to collect taxes, so the Shinsengumi's salary is not that much, but it is relatively small compared to ordinary people.
It's just a little more.
So Okita Souji did not choose to treat the disease.
She had had a cough before, but it would heal on its own after a while, so she didn't need to take it to heart and just tolerate it for a while.
Because he was not feeling well, Souji Okita asked Hijikata Toshizo to apply for a day off.
She felt that staying in the house was not interesting, so she chose to go out for a walk.
Without wearing the light green haori, Souji Okita wandered into Mibu Village.
"Ahem." She couldn't help but smile when she heard the sound of children playing in Rensheng Temple.
It's spring now and the sun is shining warmly.
Even though Souji Okita works in Kyoto and is busy with public security all day long, he still occasionally finds time to return to Mibu Village to play with these children.
"Don't be anxious, everyone, come one by one."
At this moment, Souji Okita heard a familiar voice.
Her body suddenly stiffened.
Then, Soji Okita saw a figure wearing a black and white haori leaping high from the Mibuji Temple.
"Zuo... Zuo Cun?"
Zuo Cun was stunned when he saw a girl wearing a cherry-colored Wu uniform standing outside Rensheng Temple from a high altitude.
...
"I sent Sumina back. Sumina is not used to living in the south, and the loom is also here, so it would be troublesome to take her away, so I sent her back." Zuo Cun sat down.
On the roof, he said to Miss Okita next to him.
"That's right, Soina can take care of herself." Souji Okita agreed to what Ano Samura said, which felt a bit unreal.
"Yes." Zuo Cun nodded, "Although I have placed Souna here temporarily, I will still come to visit Souna from time to time."
Souji Okita spoke slowly: "Hey, Samura, how long has it been since we sat together and chatted like this?"
Zuocun was a little silent and shook his head: "I can't remember clearly, but I know it's been a long time."
"...Are you my enemy now?" Souji Okita couldn't help but ask.
Zuo Cun smiled and shook his head: "I am involved in a trading company called Guishan Shezhong. It is just a trading company, so we will not be enemies for the time being."
"...What about the future?" Miss Okita's bangs covered her eyes.
Zuo Cun lowered his head and did not answer.
Miss Okita seemed to have expected it. She stood up and said to Zuo Cun with a smile: "I didn't come here to chat with you."
As she spoke, she jumped off the house.
Today's children are no longer the same group as before, but Rensheng Village is very energetic, so many children still come to play in Rensheng Temple.
A child grabbed Okita Souji's sleeve: "Sister Okita, I haven't seen Mr. Serizawa for a long time. Where did Mr. Serizawa go?"
"He..." Tong Yanwuji, General Manager Okita couldn't help but look depressed when he heard this question, "Mr. Serizawa, he went to work in a very far away place, and he may not come here again in the future.
."
"Oh——? Why is this like this?"
"There is nothing we can do about this. How about Sister Okita playing hide and seek with you?"
Miss Okita shed a drop of sweat on her temples and began to comfort the child.
Zuo Cun sat on the roof, watching Okita playing with the children, and smiled involuntarily.
He sighed.
I really hope we are not living in this era, but in a more peaceful and stable era.
if that happened......
However, Zuo Cun also heard something else from Okita's words.
Serizawa went to a place far away for work?
If he was simply working, Okita's expression shouldn't be so depressed...