Saigo Takamori was relieved to hear the soldiers' words that his will to fight was still firm, but when he thought of the prospect of this war, he couldn't help but sigh again, and his mood turned gloomy again.

Kumamoto Castle can be said to be the last important stronghold of the Satsuma Army in Kyushu, and if it is lost, it will mean complete defeat.

It's okay to say that you die, but where is the future of these people who follow you?

When Saigo Takamori returned to the city, it was already late at night, and after some inspection, although he felt a little tired, he was still not sleepy at this time, he sighed, sat up again, and read the book.

And Saigo Takamori didn't know that on the other side of Kumamoto Castle, in the camp of the Japanese government army, there were people like him, who couldn't sleep all night.

"Dashan-kun, haven't you rested yet?"

Youpeng of Shan County looked at the big mountain rock standing in the night breeze and asked in a dumb voice.

Aritomo Yamaguchi had arrived from Tokyo in his capacity as secretary of the army, and Oyama Iwa was one of the main commanders of the government forces.

Due to the heavy casualties of the Russian army in the battle to recover Honshu, the troops and weapons were greatly consumed, and when attacking Saga, they were met with fierce resistance from the Saga army, and the losses were serious, and after the capture of Saga, it was difficult for the main force of the Russian army to advance again. In view of the fact that the Russian army has turned the tide of the war and the losses are too great, the Russian army command has negotiated with the Japanese government, hoping that the Japanese government army will replace the Russian army in the fight.

During the period when the Russian army attacked the Satsuma Army, the Japanese government got a precious respite and seized the time to reorganize its armaments and recruit soldiers. Training with German instructors. After a break. The strength of the Japanese government army has increased considerably. The head of the Japanese government, Iwakura Gushi, Yamaguchi Aritomo, and others suggested to Emperor Meiji to send troops, and after the request of the Russian army headquarters, Emperor Meiji did not want the Russian army to bring more damage to Japan, so he approved the proposal of Iwakura Prefecture and others, and the Japanese government army officially took over the Russian army and became the main force attacking Kyushu and Shikoku Island.

"Why didn't Shan Shanjun sleep either?" Da Shanyan did not answer that Shan County Youpeng, but asked rhetorically.

It was late at night, when they heard the sudden sound of gunfire in the distance. The two of them took a few steps forward and came to a small hillside, where they stood silently and looked in that direction.

At this moment, the gunfire seemed to stop again.

The fog was thick at night, and the air was full of gunsmoke and the smell of burning fabrics, and nothing could be seen clearly.

"Do you want to come closer?" An adjutant from Yama County Youpeng asked.

"No need......" Shan Shan Youpeng shook his head and looked at the big mountain rock beside him.

"Brother, he...... Maybe it's over there......" Oyama said in a low voice as if sensing something.

"Saigo-kun...... Were you really at that time? Shan Shan Youpeng also muttered, looking there with melancholy eyes.

On this night. I am afraid that these two will become the most timid times in the lives of the marshals of the Japanese Navy.

For Dashan Rock, as long as the follow-up troops arrive. After the assembly was completed, the Japanese government army was about to launch a large-scale attack on the Satsuma Army position in Kumamoto Castle, and the eldest brother he once admired the most, the person who had been smiling and watching over them since he was a young man playing and fighting on the seaside, and the leader of the all-Japan Restoration who commanded thousands of troops to sweep the four islands of Japan more than ten years ago, would really die in the smoke-shrouded place in front of him when one early morning came?

The Japanese Army's large participation in the army and the actual commander-in-chief of the front line, Aritomo Yamayama Prefecture, was not in a relaxed mood at this time.

In the eyes of many people, Yama Prefecture Youpeng is a typical traitor-type character, and even if he has now become the head of Japan's military and political circles, he has never been respected by ordinary Japanese. However, objectively speaking, because of his active role in the War of the Shogunate and the Meiji Restoration, he cannot escape the name of "traitor" by any standard, but he can also be called one of the people who pioneered and wrote Japanese history. In fact, because the Middle-earth literary skills of Youpeng in Shan County are not bad, he can even be regarded as a good hand at writing poetry and prose.

Youpeng in Shan County is 43 years old, and he has not completely transformed from a middle-aged man with a bit of literary sentimentality to a thief who is "old and immortal". In his heart, somehow, he remembered the past.

In the past years, the enemy leader at this time, Xixiang Longsheng, but whether in private or public terms, he had great favors to the county of Shanxi.

In their interactions, I am afraid that there are four moments that will be worth remembering for the rest of your life.

At the first moment, at the end of the curtain, Yamaguchi Aritomo, as a representative of the Choshu domain, visited the Satsuma domain and was warmly entertained by Saigo Takamori. Yama Prefecture Aritomo was born in "Ashigaru", but he was called a "warrior" by Saigo Takamori, and in front of the arrogant Satsuma samurai, he showed his face very much. It was also at that time that he first met the elite generals of the Satsuma Domain, and met the first brave general in the enemy camp today, Kirino Toshiaki; I also saw Kiyotaka Kuroda, who had joined the army with him, served as a town guard in Hokkaido, negotiated with the Russians for the country's rights, and was later transferred back to Honshu to command the government army against Saigo Takamori, but unfortunately was killed by a mine planted by the enemy on the railway bridge; At the same time, I also met Yaichiro Nagayama, a fierce general under Takamori Saigo. Saigo's generosity and the military might of the Satsuma Army have left a deep impression on Aritomo Yama Prefecture since then. He later served as Secretary of Army and reformed the Japanese military system, and his original idea began with this meeting with Saigo Takamori.

The second moment was during the period of "abolishing the feudal domain and setting up the prefecture" in the fourth year of the Meiji era after the Restoration, at the meeting, the representatives of the old feudal lords were violent, and they opposed it en masse, and some friends in the mountain county saw Saigo Takamori shooting the case and shouted: "The abolition of the feudal domain and the county is the official business of the country, and if anyone dares to oppose it for personal gain, I will raise troops to attack!" The bluff made everyone dare not say anything more, and this proposal had to be passed, thus truly sweeping away the old feudal system in Japan and realizing the centralized power of the emperor. The courage of Saigo Takashi made the friends of Yama County admire and respect at that time.

The third moment was when the "Yamashiriya Incident" was revealed in the fifth year of the Meiji era, and the embezzlement of public funds due to corruption and bribery (the embezzlement of public funds in Yamayama Prefecture accounted for more than one-tenth of the annual revenue of the Japanese government at that time). It's really unimaginable). There are friends in Shanxian County who are in a predicament. "Everyone in the world says that they can be killed", but Saigo Takamori stood up for him to play a round and ensure that he passed, and only relieved the army Daisuke from his official position, which can be said to be a life-saving grace.

The fourth moment is the incident of Saigo Takamori going to the field in the sixth year of the Meiji era, if it were not for the resignation of Saigo Takamori because the "Korean Expedition Theory" could not be passed, how could he have friends in other counties to make a comeback and control the military power. And in the Southwest War, he took on a major task and fought against the former alliance leader, idol and engong Saigo Takamori?

During the war between Honshu and the Satsuma Army, Yama Prefecture Aritomo continued to urge troops and supplies to the rear, which was not only criticized by many people in the DPRK and China, but also despised by the generals under his account, and later fought in Osaka to a stalemate, and the "Rushing Back Army" he supported was defeated in the landing operation behind the Satsuma Army, and he suggested that the Russian army be introduced to help the war, and supported Iwakura Gushi's plan to borrow troops to quell the rebellion. Now. The Satsuma army was finally driven back to Kyushu, and Kumamoto became the last fortress of the Satsuma army. In the end, as a result of the battle, whether Saigo Takamori was killed or captured, he could be regarded as a friend in Yamayama County who could raise his eyebrows and whip the golden stirrups and return. It's just that if the former Engong Saigo Takamori is really captured, what face should he meet with him?

Youpeng and Dashan Yan in Shan County stood there with their own hearts, letting the night dew wet their uniforms.

"Yamachi-kun, what do you think the future of Japan will look like after this war?" Oyama asked suddenly, but his gaze remained straight ahead.

"After this battle, Japan can be said to have suffered a great loss of vitality, but the civil strife has been flattened, the country has been unified, and there is no hindrance, as long as we all work hard, it should become stronger and stronger!" Youpeng of Shanxian replied without thinking, these words came to him, and at this moment, it seemed that his confidence was so insufficient.

Da Shanyan listened to his answer, was silent, and only turned around for a long time and walked towards the barracks.

Kumamoto Castle is always quiet in the morning, and the occasional early bird turns its throat but is not obtrusive. There was no need to search for where the crisp sound came from, the whole city and the distant mountains and trees were submerged in the thick of white mist, and all that was left was a light gray shadow. The village on the outskirts of the city is also quiet in the early morning. Although the snoring of the men lying in the position or behind the city wall was earth-shattering, surrounded by the thick stone wall, only a faint line of wind floated and sank against the ground; The children were awake, but because of their father's majesty, they had to obediently huddle in the bed and turn over and over, wringing out the sound of squirming. After some time, the bell man finally woke up and began to ring the bell.

"Dang!" A bell tore through the fog.

"Dang!" Before the previous bells had stopped, the second bell came in a surge. The thin gauze mist could not withstand the force, and silently cracked a crack, and the sunlight spilled in, opening a gentle curtain of light in the cool air.

"Dang!" The three bells were light, like a warbler's cry, jumping one by one of the bells, the white mist suddenly dissipated, a pool of coolness came to the face, and the residual sleepiness was dispelled at once.

And so the whole city woke up.

The men began to get up, and the children laughed and jumped out of the bed, only to be slapped back by their fathers: some of them secretly went to the kitchen in the middle of the night, and there were still crumbs of pastries on the corners of their mouths; The man, who was still sleepwalking, spat out a large string of bubbles in his mouth.

Lin Yiqing woke up.

And when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the shadow of Chiho Kirino.

Seeing Lin Yiqing wake up, she walked in gently and quickly, standing in front of him silently, her expression was extremely excited, and her eyes were shining, almost startling him.

What he saw seemed to be another of hers—it was the true face of a person, only seen through his eyes. She didn't say a word, silently looking at his face.

Lin Yiqing looked at Chiho Kirino in front of her, her face was slightly red, her eyes were full of happiness, and when her spiritual hearing realized the meaning of the question in Lin Yiqing's eyes, she shook like a tree branch touched by her hand, and laughed calmly and comfortably.

Chiho Kirino laughed for a while. She felt the need to talk about something, but now she couldn't think of what she was going to say to him.

Lin Yiqing looked at her and laughed too.

She sensed his inner anxiety in his smile, and she felt that she should relieve his worries, so she retracted her smile and became serious and serious, but her eyes still sparkled with a vision of future happiness.

"How was your rest last night? Where did Yuja go? She said to Lin Yiqing with a smile.

Now, when she said this, she didn't have the slightest jealousy in her heart.

She looked very pleased. Lin Yiqing saw that her eyes glowed with that heartfelt joy. That's her peculiar look. And in his original era, he who had read countless people, rarely saw such a pair of eyes.

"I don't know, she has a lot of work, maybe she's busy." Lin Yiqing replied with a smile.

"Are you hungry? I've made you something to eat, so I'll bring it to you. Chiho Kirino looked at him as if she had been separated from him for a long time.

Indeed, during her pregnancy and childbirth. Coupled with the busy military affairs and the continuous war, the couple has not been together for too long.

"Okay." Lin Yiqing wanted to say that she didn't want her to be so busy, but seeing her happy appearance, she didn't want to upset her interest, so she nodded.

She ran out happily, and after a while, Lin Yiqing saw her come in with a bowl of soup.

Lin Yiqing recalled that the dishes she used to cook for herself were all delicious, except when she would be unable to act. No matter what time of year, I can eat the food she cooks. Although he was not always able to savor her craftsmanship because of the fierce war, in retrospect, the warm taste still made him unforgettable.

Chiho Kirino put a bowl of soup she made in front of Lin Yiqing. Lin Yiqing smelled the aroma and knew that this bowl of soup made of unknown ingredients must be very delicious, so she picked it up and wanted to drink it, but she smiled and stopped his hand.

Lin Yiqing saw her take out a silver spoon, and she gently scooped up a spoonful of white fat like tofu soup with this spoon, and fed it to Lin Yiqing's mouth.

Lin Yiqing opened his mouth and carefully sucked the soup into his mouth, sweet, slippery, soft, and a different kind of fragrance, his eyes widened, and he tasted it carefully, as if he couldn't bear to swallow it immediately.

"Delicious! Delicious! Lin Yiqing swallowed the food in his mouth and couldn't help but praise again and again.

She smiled and fed him spoonful by spoonful, and he also enjoyed her feeding very comfortably, and after a while, this big bowl of soup was all eaten by Lin Yiqing.

Seeing Lin Yiqing eating sweetly, Chiho Kirino was very happy, and after Lin Yiqing finished eating, she took the hand towel and wiped his mouth for him.

"Your head is a little hot, is it from the wind chill and fever?" She said with concern, "If you're not busy at this time, let's lie down for a while." If you're feeling bad, I'll get you some medicine. ”

"Okay."

Chiho Kirino helped him lie down, cleaned up the dishes, and left. Lin Yiqing lay down for a while, he woke up this morning and felt a little uncomfortable, sleepy and weak, maybe he had a cold, but he didn't lie down for too long, and after a while, he got up again and got dressed.

He thought about what he had to deal with today, and suddenly remembered the letter he received yesterday, and hurried to the office, took out the letter, opened it, and read it carefully.

When he received this letter yesterday, he was busy arranging the defense of Kumamoto Castle, and he didn't bother to read it, but he knew that the Saga clan had sent him such a letter, and it must be a very important matter, and he had never been in the habit of procrastinating, so he immediately found it and read it after remembering it this morning.

This letter was written by Eto Shinsaku, the leader of the Saga clan, and Lin Yiqing knew very well about Eto Shinsaku, who was the second son of Eto Shinpei, a famous Japanese jurist and leader of the Liberal Civil Rights Movement, with a young name of Matsujiro and Hotsutsuyama, and succeeded him as the governor of the Eto family after the death of his eldest brother Eto Kumataro. Influenced by his father, Shinpei Eto, who was also a jurist and passionate about the Japanese judicial system and civil rights reform, he served as a counselor of Saga Prefecture and director of the Mito Court.

In the letter, Eto Shinsaku expressed deep concern about the future of Japan and the great cause of King Qin, he believes that in the current situation, King Qin has no possibility of victory, what can be done should be to keep the seeds of the Shi clan as much as possible, and wait for the future to rise again, he believes that even if the current Meiji government of Japan wins, Japan can not really embark on the road of a society under the rule of law and a civil rights society, and hopes that Lin Yiqing can continue his ideals and lead the Shi clan to achieve real victory in the future.

Eto Shinsaku said in the letter that his father Eto Shinpei had been martyred for the great cause of King Qin, and now Saga was also at the point of life and death, and he was determined to follow in his father's footsteps, "Righteousness is not the only child", and burned his home with Saga warriors, but hoped that Lin Yiqing would take care of his young and favorite sister Eto Haruko.

After reading this letter, Lin Yiqing felt sorry for the fact that Eto Shinsaku had already burned down with the city along with many Saga samurai. He put the letter away, took a deep breath, puffed up his chest, and walked a few steps around the room, trying to calm his mind.

After calming himself down, Lin Yiqing called the Satsuma officer in charge, and after asking where Eto Haruko lived, he went straight to find it.

When Lin Yiqing came to Eto Haruko's room, what caught his eye was a girl sitting on the edge of the bed, reading quietly.

After hearing that it was Lin Yiqing who came to see her, the girl got up and bowed to Lin Yiqing.

Lin Yiqing bowed and returned the salute, and when he straightened up, the first thing he saw was a pair of eyes, those eyes were too clear and quiet, and seeing such a pair of eyes here made him slightly shocked in his heart. (To be continued......)

PS: Ask for collection! Ask for recommendations! Ask for a subscription! Click! Ask for a commuter pass!