He couldn't tell if what was going on in his mind right now was, "Ah, it was"—because he expected it to turn out this way—or "Why did you do it?" or "Are all the things that come out of it fake?"

Before he could think of anything else, he heard a jumble of footsteps. Immediately, from the room before, a man with a bleeding head stumbled out, and without standing firmly, he was about to raise his right hand—the light flickered, and the cold light shone on the metal barrel—and what seemed to be a handcuff in his hand!

Earthwork:!!!

However, the young girl named "Yukiko" seemed to react faster than him.

She quickly turned sideways and skillfully placed Saigo from the side of the road to her own within range of the handcuff—the other side was directly facing the earth, to keep an eye on his movements—and shouted, "Stand still, or you'll die before you shoot me!"

The man looked like a guard, maybe he had just been attacked by her in the house, probably he was hit in the head, there was a wound in the forehead, and the blood flowed down almost the entire right eye.

The kidnapped Saigo Congdao was very calm. Hijikata sighed when he heard him.

"Miss Kujo, why bother?" he said.

Earthwork:?!

…… Kujo?!

Why has he been able to meet people with the surname "Kujo" lately? Are there so many people with the surname "Kujo"? There are so many people in Kagoshima that he can meet one all over the mountains?!

For a moment, he thought of the young man with the same surname "Kujo" who fought against him in the torrential rain on the slopes of Taharasaka, Saburo.

No, the "Kujo Saburo" covered the lower half of his face with a scarf, but just by the comparison of the upper half of his face, it can be concluded that he did not look any like the "Yukiko" in front of him—no, Miss Kujou".

But the recent appearance of this not-so-popular surname in front of him has reached a point where it is enough to alert him.

…… Moreover, he seems to know a "Miss Kujo".

That woman, with an identity, is the adopted daughter of the declining aristocratic Kujo family.

Nine rules.

- That is, Kiyohara Yukiba.

First, the surname "Kujo" appeared in front of him, and it reappeared after ten years. And then today, there is a woman with the word "snow" in her name.

…… Is all this just a coincidence?!

But doesn't he know?! Kujo Noriko, that is, Kiyohara Yukiba, had been reduced to ashes by the exhaustion of the power of the rakshasa ten years ago, and dissipated in the wind of Hakodate.

She could have not died. However, it was he who handed her the change of water, and made her transform from a normal person into a much shorter Rakshasa, and then, instead of expecting her to say, "It's okay, it's all over", he turned away from her, saying that he wanted to think about it, that he still had some mustard in his heart, and left her alone in the mountains of Hakodate......

Hijikata felt that the heart in his chest, which had been dormant for many years, seemed to slowly begin to beat higher and lower again.

Knock, knock, knock, knock –

But the unfamiliar "Yukiko" in front of her—no, "Miss Kujo," spoke in a cold voice.

"I think I want to ask you. …… Master Congdao, why do you have to do this?"

There was a ghostly smile in her voice.

"Abandoned my brother and ignored Saigo-sama's ambitions, did you want to sit back and watch Saigo-sama fall into danger and not help him? …… Well, that's right, if you step on the throne of your brother who is always glorious and high-profile, the glory and status of the Saigo family will be inherited by you alone——"

Earthwork: "......"

Ah, what a scolding. This "Miss Kujo" really doesn't show the slightest affection for His Excellency the younger brother of "Saigo-sama"?!

However, Saigo swept a clear hint of pain across Michi's face.

Hijikata thought that he knew that what "Miss Kujou" said was a trap, and he deliberately wanted to say it to shake his mind, but he still fell for it, didn't he?

“…… That's not the case!!" Saigo suddenly showed a tremendous strength that was not commensurate with his thin body, and shouted loudly.

He inevitably had to shake his head as he roared. Hijikata was surprised to see that the "Miss Kujo" who lied that her name was "Yukiko" moved the short knife that pressed against his neck in time, so that Saigo did not get his neck cut on the spot because of his emotion.

Hijikata quietly observed Saigo and the "Miss Kujo" two.

Now he can confirm one thing - the purpose of this "Miss Kujou" should have been to infiltrate the barracks from the beginning and come to see Saigo from the beginning. The identity of the geisha "Yukiko" should be just a disguise, and this "Miss Kujo" should be from the side of the Satsuma army, because she seems to be speaking on the side of the Saigo-sama, and she also strongly criticized Saigo Komichi who insisted on standing on the side of the official army.

So, maybe she was sent by the Sato army to persuade Saigo to obey the road?

Hijikata didn't know what Saigo was doing here when he came to the front line from the road. He now bears the false name of "Katsuto Naito", and his status in the official army is not very high, unlike during the Boshin War ten years ago, when he could easily obtain top-secret information and information that only high-level people can know.

But his keen insight, analysis, and judgment have not faded with the passage of time. After a brief reflection, he came to the most likely conclusion that was close to the facts: Saigo came here from the province in fact, in fact, to find an opportunity to contact Satsuma's side, and then try to persuade Satsuma to surrender as much as possible from the standpoint of the official army.

It was easy to conclude that the battle was not going well, and that the weather and terrain had caused both sides to fight extremely hard, and even if they were prepared for the worst, whether it was the big man from Satsuma who remained in Tokyo, who was also surnamed "Okubo", or the younger brother of the Saigo family who came to the front, and the priest-sama, who also held a high position in the government army, there was still a glimmer of anticipation, hoping that the war would be ended as soon as possible and that more unnecessary attrition and sacrifice would be avoided.

…… However, the meeting is not going well.

Hijikata slowly wrung his eyebrows.

Although he didn't know what was going on in that longhouse, and what Saigo and this "Miss Kujo" had said, but now it seemed to him that every word and deed of "Miss Kujo" could only make Saigo Michi's efforts to continue communicating and persuading Satsuma's side come to naught-

Could it be that this "Miss Kujo" is not an envoy sent by Saigo Takamori to meet with Saigo in private, but ...... Is it a representative of the diehards in the Satsuma army who are bent on going their own way and intend to fight the official army to the end?!

Hijikata's expression was grim.

Just as he came to this ominous conclusion, he heard Saigo's words from the road.

“…… I, of course, wanted to ask my brother why he did this...... Is there a way to peacefully solve what my brother wants to do......

Then, Hijikata heard the answer of "Miss Kujo".

"Didn't I give you the letter from Lord Saigo? That's what Saigo-sama wants to do. …… Take everyone to Beijing and ask the current government if the current government wants to let everyone who used to be a scholar live...... If the government says 'no,' then there is no peaceful solution." ”

Although he said something terrifying, the "Miss Kujou" actually had a smile in her voice at the end.

"Master Congdao, why are you still so naïve after so many years~"

Saigo was suddenly shocked.

"...... you!?"

“…… Do you want to see your brother and his loyal Satsuma men fighting in the rain and people dying, or do you want to take the brother you have always admired by the nose and make him obey you?" said the "Miss Kujo" slowly.

“…… Either one, you can't do it now. She paused and came to a cruel conclusion.

"If you really want to follow your brother, you can ...... from the beginning However, you don't. ”

"It's been delayed until now, and it's just to get peace of mind for myself. …… Wait for your brother to refuse your persuasion and your followers, and then what else can you do? Loudly say in the camp of the officials and soldiers that you, as a younger brother, must follow your brother to the end?"

Suddenly, she withdrew the short knife that was lying across Saigo's neck. Then, with his left hand, he pushed Saigo on the shoulder.

Maybe it was because he was caught off guard, or maybe it was because what she said deeply shook his mind, Saigo Congdao didn't resist at all, staggered a few steps forward with her strength, and then turned his head suddenly, looked at her with an unusually shocked face, and even opened his mouth slightly.

Although in the next moment, without giving the people on either side who were going to rush to his rescue, the short knife was lightning again around his neck, continuing to threaten his life, but Saigo had already seen in that brief moment what this bold young woman was like.

In Saigo's opinion, the young woman in front of him, who had previously been a geisha "Yukiko" who was still gentle and eloquent, had now taken off her gorgeous kimono with furrowed sleeves, and was wearing only the inner muscle loop, and the hem of her white dress was sprinkled with blood stains—which she had just spilled on the forehead of the guards waiting in the nearby hut when she suddenly attacked in the inner room—and held a short knife in her hand, holding him hostage and standing sideways in the courtyard while guarding against the opponents of both sides.

To her left was the bodyguard who was bleeding but still struggling to hold his post and wanted to attack, and to her right was the older-looking, lowly-ranked junior officer who was patrolling the neighborhood tonight.

Saigo could tell at a glance that with the inner language of Miss Kujo's standing and body, she was inexplicably more wary of the older officer to her right, as if she were facing a great enemy—but at the same time, she seemed to pay little attention to the bleeding young guard on her left.

This discovery made Saigo can't help but remember the older officer in his heart.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

August 14:

Yesterday, I seemed to forget to say that this Saigo Congdao is Saigo Takamori's younger brother, and in the Taiga drama, it is Hhh played by Ryo Nishikito

So you can default to his appearance is very good [Hey!

This chapter talks about the problem of him and his brother, in short, Okubo Ritsu's policy made the old Shi clan have no way to live, and the old Shi clan of Satsuma launched Saigo Takamori as a representative, and Okubo Ritsu worked against him.

Thus broke out the Southwest War.

Saigo Congdao is on the side of the official army. So what should he do after the war, he was not liquidated, and he became a big official

Given his poor record after that, the girl is now spraying him a little harder

The girl is in the next big game of chess

As for why the girl did this, I will slowly explain it in the process of narration!

Next update: tomorrow. It's still about this time

Thank you to the little angel who voted for me or irrigated the nutrient solution~

Thanks to the little angel who threw [Mine]: Sophia, CS Fungus, Immortal Limit 1;

Thanks to the little angel who irrigated [the nutrient solution]:

28 bottles of CS bacteria, 5 bottles of Shuiqian Moyin;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!