I formed the strongest swordsman group

"Ho...! Ho...! Ho...! Ho...!"

The hoarse and weak moans made those who heard them shudder.

Being forced to kneel on the ground is already uncomfortable, and heavy stones are placed on the legs... Because it brings great pain to the victim, "stone hug" has always been one of the most favored punishments by executioners. .

Okada Izo fell forward softly, and the two boulders pressing on his legs became his support.

I saw him using a stone as a pillow and breathing heavily.

However, before he could take a breath, the executioner on the side grabbed his hair and lifted him up.

"Hey! Who told you to rest!"

Under the brutal pull of the executioner, Okada Izo's face was exposed to the sun.

His face, which had not been washed for an unknown amount of time, was covered with thick dirt and stained with blood. , with just a gentle rub, you can make mud balls as big as your fingers.

His hair was knotted, his eyes were bloodshot, his expression was numb, and his eyes were dull... At first glance, he looked like he was half dead.

Under the instructions of Goto Shojiro, Okada Izo became a "key focus".

Stone hugging, Hai Lao, whipping...all kinds of tortures came to him in turn.

After more than a year of repeated torture, the "human beings cut to hide" who used to be a powerful figure in Kyoto have become the miserable appearance they are now, inhuman and ghostless.

Fortunately, Okada Izo is a martial arts practitioner and has a strong body, and his ability to withstand blows and recover is top-notch.

Otherwise, ordinary people would never be able to withstand such torture.

At this time, another executioner came forward and sang Red Face:

"Okada Izo, you can rest if you want."

"As long as you expose all the dirty things your master Takeichi Hanheita has done, you won't have to suffer anymore."

"Not only that, not long ago, Mr. Goto personally agreed that as long as you are willing to identify Takeichi Hanheita, you will be guilty and meritorious."

"Afterwards, he will promote you to the title of 'Baizha Township Scholar'."

"For 'Ashigaru', this is already a great opportunity, you must seize it."

When the word "Ashigaru" was mentioned, the executioner emphasized his tone.

Okada Izo's status is very humble.

He was born in Ashigaru and was the lowest among the villagers.

In Tosa, Ashigaru are treated no differently than dogs and cats on the roadside.

As a boy, Okada Izo was bullied for being inferior to others. He was filled with a deep desire to "get ahead", so he worked hard to practice swordsmanship.

With his status, it was difficult for him to enter a first-class dojo to study, so he could only hide outside the dojo and learn secretly.

It wasn't until he met Takeichi Hanheita that his miserable life like a rag finally turned around.

Takeshi Banping Taixiang was impressed by his talent, and not only did he not disdain his background, but also accepted him as his apprentice, so that he finally got the opportunity to officially learn from his master.

Later, Hanheita Takeichi sponsored him to study abroad in Edo, where he became a disciple of Haruzo Momoi, the "Momoi of the Position", and practiced Kaishin Akechi-ryu, and finally succeeded in obtaining a exemption from the Kaden.

Then, Takeichi Hanheita took him to travel and practice in the defense minister and Kyushu areas, and on the way he learned the Jichi-style swordsmanship in Bungooka Domain.

This is the origin of Okada Izo's superb swordsmanship.

At the same time, this is also why Okada Izo admires Takeichi Hanheita so much - the kindness of knowing and meeting him is unforgettable!

Facing the "red and white duet" of the executioners, Okada Izo endured the severe pain, pulled the corner of his mouth, and showed a sarcastic smile:

"Stop... talking nonsense..."

"The noise makes my... ears hurt..."

"If you have any tricks... just use them..."

"If I...cry out in pain...I will be...a bastard..."

"I will never...betray...Teacher Wu Shi..."

"You...open your eyes...take a good look..."

"History will eventually prove...Teacher Wu Shi...is the right one!"

At the end of his words, Okada Izo gathered his strength and roared loudly, startling the executioners.

After they regained their composure, the executioners scolded angrily:

"Even now, I still don't know how to repent!"

"We're still talking about 'respecting the king and repelling the barbarians' here! Let me tell you, not long ago, Changshu mobilized ten thousand troops to attack Kyoto eastward, but was defeated by the benevolent king. Stop thinking about 'respecting the king and repelling the barbarians'!"

"It's all because of you short-sighted guys who brutally killed Yoshida-sama! If Yoshida-sama is still alive, under his wise leadership, our national power in Tosa will be greatly increased!"

"Since you are still so energetic, let me add another stone to you!"

"Come on, move another stone!"

After a while, another stone was brought over and placed on Okada Izo's thigh.

Three huge rocks stacked on top of each other are taller than half of Okada Izo's body.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-!"

The terrifying screams spread again.

…

…

At this moment, when Okada Izo was being tortured, Goto Shojiro stood on the pavilion not far away with his hands behind his back, looking down expressionlessly, looking coldly at the tortured Okada. To hide.

A follower standing behind Goto Shojiro sighed softly:

"Mr. Goto, I am not praising the thief, but... this Okada Izo really had a hard time. He was tortured for more than a year, but he still preferred to die."

After hearing this, Goto Shojiro snorted coldly:

"Would rather die than surrender? In my opinion, this guy is stubborn!"

"Even now, he still can't recognize the mistake of Takechi Hanpeita."

"If you can't use your courage in the right way, you will only help the evil!"

Compared to the past, Tosa has undergone earth-shaking changes.

The current lord of Tosa Domain is Yamauchi Toyonori (16th lord).

But in fact, the power of the domain has always been firmly in the hands of the former lord Yamauchi Dodo (15th lord).

Although Yamauchi Dodo was not old (37 years old at the time), he was indeed a politician with sophisticated means and keen sense of smell.

When the pro-shogunate faction and the sonnō jo faction were fighting in full swing, he never stood up and clearly stated his political stance.

After Qing Deng and others launched the "August 18th Coup" and expelled the Choshu forces from Kyoto, and the pro-shogunate faction gained an overwhelming advantage, he quickly took action, declared the Tosa Kinno Party to be an evil association that brought disaster to the country and the people, banned it and hunted down related members.

In this way, he showed his loyalty to the shogunate with practical actions: our Tosa clan will always stand on the side of the Tokugawa family!

Although this kind of light-speed defection behavior makes people laugh, it is indeed useful.

Tosa is one of the most powerful feudal states in the west (with a territory of 240,000 stones).

Its light-speed defection can play a good demonstration role and indirectly boost the authority of the shogunate-for this reason, the shogunate cannot but treat Tosa with courtesy.

The Tosa Kinno Party, which once controlled the feudal government, fell overnight.

After banning the Tosa Kinno Party, Yamanouchi Do vigorously promoted Goto Shojiro and entrusted him with the important positions of Tosa's chief inspector and councilor (the highest governor of the feudal government, equivalent to the prime minister).

In addition, he also ordered Goto Shojiro to fully investigate the "Yoshida Toyo murder case".

You should know that Yoshida Toyo was a close confidant promoted by Yamauchi Do.

After Yoshida Toyo was murdered, Yamauchi Do did not express any opinion and allowed the Tosa Kinno Party, which was heavily suspected, to grow stronger.

It was not until the time was ripe that he eradicated it completely... This mentality alone is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

In fact, anyone with a little political sensitivity can see that Yamauchi Do deliberately allowed the Tosa Kinno Party to mess around.

It was to leave enough room for the Tosa domain to "jump left and right".

Once the Sonnō faction won, the Tosa Kinno Party would be an excellent association with all the wise men.

Once the pro-shogunate faction won, it would be the miserable situation of "watching it entertain guests and watching it collapse".

Goto Shojiro - 26 years old at the time, he was a well-known hero of the Tosa domain.

"When talking about the young talents of Tosa, we have to talk about Goto Shojiro" - his talent and fame reached this level.

He lost his father at a young age and was raised by his uncle Yoshida Toyo, his uncle Kaneyoshi. He studied both civil and military since childhood and studied at the Shaolin School founded by Yoshida Toyo. He was deeply influenced by his uncle Toyo, an enlightened politician who was well-versed in both Chinese and Western studies.

At the same time, he studied under the samurai Oishi Tanemachi of Yanagikawa Domain and learned Oishi Shinkage Ryu. He was also a good swordsman.

Yoshida Toyo was proficient in Chinese and Western studies, and his understanding of Western civilization was much deeper than that of the closed-minded and conservative patriots.

In his view, rejecting globalization and rejecting the West was completely a brain-dead empty talk of corrupt scholars.

Therefore, during his tenure as a councilor of Tosa Domain, he vigorously promoted a series of reforms, advocating the elimination of family background, the development of industry and commerce, military reform, national trade, and enriching the country and strengthening the army.

Many people thought: If Yoshida Toyo had not died, why would our Tosa Domain have to take such a long detour like today?

Whenever they thought of this, they hated the short-sighted thief who killed Yoshida Toyo more and more.

After Goto Shojiro came to power, he continued Yoshida Toyo's philosophy of governing the country, advocated innovation, and established the "Kaiseikan" to promote reform.

Under Goto Shojiro's governance, Tosa Domain was completely renewed, and its national strength was increasing day by day. It was gradually transforming into an enlightened country like Satsuma that "combines Japanese and Western cultures".

While concentrating on governing the country, Goto Shojiro did not forget to find the real murderer who killed his uncle Toyo.

Takechi Hanpeita has always been suspected of being the real murderer who killed Yoshida Toyo.

After all, Takechi Hanpeita was the one who benefited the most after Yoshida Toyo's death.

Yamabuchido ordered Goto Shojiro, who was both a relative of Yoshida Toyo and his beloved disciple, to try the case... It was obvious that Yamabuchido was determined to kill Takechi Hanpeita and the Tosa Kinno Party.

For Goto Shojiro, Yoshida Toyo was not only his closest relative, but also his mentor.

Yoshida Toyo was killed and his head was chopped off - for a samurai, this was a great shame - Goto Shojiro's inner grief was indescribable.

Therefore, after being ordered to try the "Yoshida Toyo Murder Case", he immediately showed his 120,000-point enthusiasm and vowed not to give up until he found out the truth of the case!

In this way, the Tosa Kinno Party members were tortured one by one and could not live or die.

Although many people confessed under torture, they were never able to obtain ironclad evidence to convict Takechi Hanpeita.

Suddenly, the attendant behind Goto Shojiro hesitated for a moment and then suggested:

"Mr. Goto, this is not a solution. I think we should torture Takechi Hanpeita directly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Goto Shojiro refused without hesitation:

"No! I have told you so many times that this approach is short-sighted! It is not worth it!"

According to the laws of the Tosa domain, sergeants were exempt from torture.

After the rise of the Tosa Loyalist Party, Takechi Hanpeita, who was originally only a "white-letter samurai", was promoted to "senior sergeant".

For this reason, when Okada Izo and others were tortured to the point of being unrecognizable, Takechi Hanpeita stayed comfortably in a clean and spacious cell, and did not suffer any grievances except for the restriction of personal freedom.

There are many people who complain about his privileges.

Since Goto Shojiro officially tried the "Yoshida Toyo Murder Case", many people suggested to him: demote Takechi Hanpeita back to "white-letter samurai", so that he can be tortured in a natural way!

With Goto Shojiro's current power, he can do so.

But he is very opposed to such an approach.

In his opinion, such an approach will set a very bad precedent.

Depriving others of their "senior sergeant" status arbitrarily for the convenience of torture... This will greatly shake the class order of the Tosa domain and make the "senior sergeant" rank lose its sacredness.

It is not worth it to sow such a big disaster for a mere Takechi Hanpeita.

Therefore, Goto Shojiro always adheres to the bottom line of "not depriving Takechi Hanpeita of his 'sergeant' status".

"..."

Goto Shojiro stared at Okada Izo, who was still wailing, without saying a word, thinking.

After a moment, he whispered:

"...Anyway, let's maintain the status quo first."

"Anyway, I have plenty of time."

"I want to see whether Takechi Hanpeita and Okada Izo can't hold on first, or my patience is exhausted first."

After saying that, he turned and left.

He is a national councilor who is busy with all kinds of affairs, but he doesn't have the time to spend a lot of time on these stray dogs.

Just as he strode forward, he suddenly saw a young man of 26 or 27 years old walking towards him.

When the young man saw Goto Shojiro, he immediately shouted:

"Goto-kun, you are here! I finally found you!"

Goto Shojiro asked calmly:

"Itagaki-kun, is there anything?"

Itagaki Taisuke - the name of this young man.

There are three heroes in Satsuma (Saigo Yoshinosuke, Komatsu Taito, and Okubo Ikzo).

There are also three heroes in Choshu (Kusaka Genzui, Takasugi Shinsaku, and Katsura Kogoro).

There are also three heroes in Tosa.

The "Three Heroes of Tosa" are Goto Shojiro, Itagaki Taisuke, and Sasaki Takayuki.

Among them, Sasaki Takayuki is relatively low-key, so he is not very famous.

Therefore, when talking about the "Three Heroes of Tosa", people often talk about Goto Shojiro and Itagaki Taisuke.

Goto Shojiro is in charge of politics, and Itagaki Taisuke is in charge of military affairs. Both of them are confidants of Yamanouchi Do.

After the fall of the Tosa Loyalist Party, they both became the central figures of the Tosa Domain under the strong promotion of Yamauchi Do.

In the face of Goto Shojiro's inquiry, Itagaki Taisuke did not answer immediately, but glanced at the entourage behind him.

Goto Shojiro turned his head and said to the entourage:

"You leave first."

"Yes."

The entourage responded and retreated in two steps.

When the footsteps gradually faded away, Itagaki Taisuke said seriously:

"Goto, I found Sakamoto Ryoma."

Sakamoto Ryoma - Hearing this name, Goto Shojiro immediately fixed his eyes and showed a serious expression.

Speaking of Sakamoto Ryoma, this person can be said to be a man of the Tosa Domain.

He was born in a merchant family. His ancestors specialized in sake. The business territory spread throughout the domain. Later, he paid money to buy the status of a country gentleman.

Although his status was low, his family was very rich. The Sakamoto family was one of the richest merchants in Tosa.

Because of his outstanding talent in swordsmanship, he was already a famous swordsman at a young age.

In 1854, he went to Edo to study and became a disciple of Chiba Sadakichi.

In 1857, Yamamoto no Nakadori held a martial arts competition in Edo. He won the championship with overwhelming strength and became famous in Edo.

In the same year, his study abroad period expired and he returned home.

Up to this point, he was just an enviable young man with a lot of money and outstanding talents.

The turning point in his life was when Takechi Hanpeita formed the Tosa Kinno Party.

As Takechi Hanpeita's childhood friend and close friend, Sakamoto Ryoma also pursued the Sonnōri ideology.

In 1861, after Takechi Hanpeita formed the Tosa Kinno Party, Sakamoto Ryoma resolutely joined it.

Soon after, in order to facilitate the Sonjo Movement, he resolutely deserted the domain and fled the domain along the mountain path, becoming a wandering ronin.

In the Edo period, desertion was a serious crime.

Not only would the person be executed, but his family would also be implicated.

After Sakamoto Ryoma deserted the domain, the domain immediately issued a wanted order for him.

Then, all his family members suffered.

His eldest sister Otome had to divorce.

His second sister Arong, who knew that he was going to desert the domain but still gave him a famous sword as a farewell, committed suicide.

His elder brother, the current head of the Sakamoto family, spent a lot of money and used all his connections to finally avoid subsequent punishment.

Later, for some unknown reason, he left the Tosa Kinno Party and began to act alone.

After that, there was no news about him and his whereabouts were unknown.

Although he was no longer a member of the Tosa Kinno Party, Goto Shojiro was sure to arrest him based on his two identities as "the elder of the Tosa Kinno Party" and "the childhood friend of Takechi Hanpeita"!

Moreover, he was a deserter, so arresting him was reasonable.

In the past year, Goto Shojiro has put a lot of effort in finding his whereabouts.

After hearing the news about Itagaki Taisuke, he immediately asked impatiently:

"Itagaki-kun, have you found Sakamoto Ryoma? Where is he?"

"He is in Nagasaki now... To be more precise, he is now under the command of Satsuma."

"Satsuma?"

Goto Shojiro was slightly startled, and then frowned.

Ask for a monthly ticket! Ask for a recommendation ticket! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

PS: The end of the Kyoto Summer Campaign can be regarded as the end of the "first half", and now it is time for the "second half". All forces are secretly preparing for the final competition.

Everyone should remember the two names "Goto Shojiro" and "Itagaki Taisuke". The former is the "wen" of Tosa, and the latter is the "wu" of Tosa. They are the central figures of the Tosa forces, and there will be a lot of drama in the future.