Zuomura returned to the area around Toba Fushimi.
The war burned, burning the earth beyond recognition.
There were still many remains of the remains of the vassal soldiers on both sides of the road. Zuocun was walking on the road and looked at the tragic situation on both sides of the road and sighed involuntarily.
He was not sighing about the death of these people, but was sighing that Longma's truest wish could no longer be achieved.
That unrealistic good man had the idea of ​​completing the transfer of power without bleeding. I have to say that he was a bit naive and - desirable.
No dream is worth laughing at, let alone such a dream.
On the way, I encountered a team of soldiers from the Satsuma vassal states that looked like they were patrolling. Pedestrians automatically retreated to both sides and welcomed the soldiers in a row.
Zuocun smiled slightly.
The shogunate is completely unpopular, and no matter how you do it, it is just a meaningless struggle.
Speeding up, Zuocun returned to the military camp.
......
Zuocun returned to the military camp and happened to run into the ceremony of Saigo Moritoshi's award of merits.
He did not stop and watch, but returned to his tent with a little disheartened heart.
I am somewhat useful, not having a single tent.
Not long after Zuocun returned to his tent, two men wearing general-style armor walked into his tent.
"Yannan, Okada." Zuomura called their names lightly.
Yamanan Keisuke looked at Zuocun, took off his helmet, and sighed.
"After that Sakamoto Ryuma died, the sky changed."
Okada Izumi and Zuomura both bit their lips without saying anything.
"We were arranged to the front line, Zuocun, you should know what this means." Shannan Jingsuke looked sad.
"...Sorry." Zuocun looked dull, but he didn't dare to look at the two of them.
The front line is the place where the most sacrifice is, and the few confidants in Zuocun are arranged there...
"It's not you who is wrong, it's not you who should apologize." Yamanan Keisuke patted Zuocun's shoulder, "You should cheer up and don't worry about our safety."
"You should be more careful, Zuomura." Okada Izumi held his chest, "Although you are very strong,...I still hope you can be careful."
"I don't want you... to be the next dragon horse."
Zuomura stood up and hugged Okada Izumi and Yamanan Keisuke.
"Thank you, I know my current situation."
Yamanan Keisuke sighed and patted Zuocun on the back.
......
The war begins again.
In the middle of Kyoto to Osaka, Saigo Morita intercepted the soldiers of the Sangmei clan.
Under the siege and blockade, Sanmeifan was forced to surrender under the pressure of the Eastern Expedition Army, and chose to abandon the shogunate position and declare neutrality.
The shogunate, which had lost the support of the Sanmei clan, was not even able to form an effective resistance in Osaka.
Hurry up and hurry up. In March, Sanhe fell and the Tokugawa family lost their ancestral land.
The shogunate army retreated to the two towns of Koshu and Shinju.
At this time, the shogunate was already in panic.
Tokugawa Keiki was no longer able to control the situation and took his confidant officers and soldiers to sneak back to Edo by boat.
Muchen Shenghaizhou ordered the Xinxuan group to fight against the Eastern Expedition Army in Jiazhou Town.
Unlike the chaotic shogunate, the morale of the new government troops is rising and they are advancing rapidly.
Not only has the troops begun to crush the shogunate army, but also many civil organizations have assisted the Eastern Expedition Army.
The more famous one is the "Childai Team" headed by Xiangle General Three.
They helped the new government troops cross the natural barrier and enter the Kanto Plain.
The new government army learned about the setting points of the shogunate's forces through intelligence, and chose to divide the troops into two groups to attack Koshu Town and Shinshu Town respectively, with the intention of forming a clamp-shaped offensive against the shogunate's nest, Edo, after occupying the two nodes.
Zuocun was incorporated into the team attacking Keshu and participated in the raid on Keshu Town.
Zuocun has been exhausted in the past two months.
His mood came to the bottom of the valley with Okada hiding in the Shinshu assault.
However, during the Massacre assault, fate arranged a worse joke for Zuocun.
......
Kyoto, Rensheng Village.
"Cough cough-cough cough-cough-cough--" After coming here, Okita Soichi sat in the same place almost every day, looking at the courtyard.
She is so sick that she can't walk too far now.
Dr. Luslan came here, but after helping Okita diagnose it, he shook his head and left.
The chief of Okina was not surprised at all and did not take it seriously.
"Sister Okina, I got up very early today." Kana took out the broom, looked at Ukina sitting in the courtyard, and greeted her with a smile.
"Good morning, Kana - cough cough -!" Okita started coughing as soon as he said something.
Kana hurried over and patted Okita on the back.
"I'll pour you a cup of hot water, there's no need to force myself to speak."
Okina Soji looked at Kana's back and fell into thinking.
Living here during this period, Okina Soshi felt extremely peaceful.
He did not deliberately avoid Qingguang, California anymore.
It was just that the body was weakening day by day and the vitality disappeared day by day, which made Okita feel lonely and painful.
Don't want to die-
I'm still young—and there are many things I haven't done before—
Such thoughts lingered in Okita's mind.
She couldn't convince herself not to be sad.
Kana brought out a cup of warm water and handed it to Miss Okina: "Drink slowly."
"Thank you, Kana."
Miss Okita obediently drank a glass of warm water.
She placed her hand holding the cup on her legs and looked at the scenery in the distance.
"......Kana." She called softly.
"What's wrong, Sister Okina?" Kana raised her head.
"My life... is almost gone." She retracted her gaze and looked at the cup in her hand.
There are only a few drops of water left in the cup, and it will not take long to evaporate.
"Sister Okina, you're thinking about it again." Kana went to Okina's side, "You will definitely survive, so don't be sad, okay?"
Okita smiled and stroked Kana's head.
"Zuocun is right, you are a good girl."
"I'm very happy to have you with me in the last period of my life."
Kana tried not to let herself feel sad, but a little tears were still hanging on the corners of her eyes.
"Now, Kana, can you ask you something?"
Okina Soshi took Kana's hand and placed it in his somewhat dry palm, "This may be my last request in this life."
To be continued...