In modern Japanese history books in general, the Fall of the Curtain Was an extremely important historical event before the Meiji Restoration. The reformers, with Satsuma and Choshu as the main body, gradually realized the crisis in their own country and put forward the slogan of "Honoring the King", paving the way for the Meiji Restoration. Naturally, the Satsuma and Choshu Alliance became an important force in Promoting Japan's progress. In this movement, "heroes" of the Restoration such as Saigo Takamori and Sakamoto Ryoma were also born.
Kazutoshi Hando, a researcher of modern Japanese history, believes that this narrative is based on the historical narrative of the "Sacho view of history". History was written by the victors, and the positive images of Satsuma and Choshu were based on their contributions to the Fall movement and the Meiji Restoration. Therefore, Kazutoshi Hando proposed the "anti-Sasaga view of history". He believed that the Meiji Restoration was nothing more than a violent revolution, but that later generations labeled it as justice according to their own positions. In the "Anti-Sassakung View of History", how do you view the fall of the curtain movement? What is Kazutoshi Hando's view of the "Sasaga Alliance"? Kazutoshi Hanto believed that if the shogunate had been established a few years earlier, history might have come to a different place.
The following excerpts, authorized by the publishing house, are excerpted from the book "History of the End of the Curtain".
History of the End of the Tokugawa shogunate,[Sun], written by Kazutoshi Hando, Wang Wang Ying,Hou Nami Kyushu Shuppansha, October 2020 edition.
Original author | Sun: Kazutoshi Hando
Excerpts | Xu Yuedong
Shinsaku Takasugi "Unique One-Person Rebellion"
The shogunate received an edict from the imperial court and sent a conquest army to Choshu for the first time. The chief of the General Staff at this time was Takamori Saigo of Satsuma. Saigo thought it would be foolish to start a war, and it would be better to let the Choshu Clan solve its own problems, so in the end there was no war. There is such a saying behind Saigo's idea. When he met with Katsumi, Katsumi told him that in the future, even if Japan was governed by a foreign daimyo, it would be no problem, and it would be necessary to use the best talents of the strong clan to implement republican politics, which is what is called the representative system today, and the current shogunate can no longer be relied upon. Saigo may have listened to him and decided that destroying the Choshu Domain would do no good for Japan. However, although he let the Choshu Clan handle it himself, he naturally put forward various conditions. However, this did not include the penalty of reducing it to 50,000 stones or distributing it to a place in the northeast, and the first Choshu conquest ended.
This move was more or less a favor to the Choshu Domain. Therefore, behind the subsequent Sacho Alliance, there may also be a little sense of trust that Choshu had in Saigo at this time. In short, the Choshu Domain, which was rampant, collapsed. Choshu once seized power and led the times, but it did a great rebellion to shell the imperial court. As a result, the conservatives and conservatives (secularists) who advocated a return to the self-domain began to gain momentum. The so-called history of the Meiji Restoration is the history of the victors, and from the perspective of the victors, these people belong to the "secular school". In short, it is now the secularists who have seized the world. They began to attack the Shogi faction that had inherited the Matsushita Mura Yoshida Shoin school, punishing them in turn, causing them to kill themselves or assassinating them.
Takasugi Learned of this in advance and hid in Kyushu. If Katsura Kogoro had returned, he would have been killed, so he fled to a hidden Izushi residence. Toshisuke Ito (Hirofumi) fled to Beppu Onsen with his concubine named Ame. Almost all of the leaders left Choshu. The remaining Inoue Fumito was attacked by the secularists while fleeing, so that he was scaled all over his body and almost died. I remember mentioning in the pre-war self-cultivation textbook that Inoue was very distressed at that time and begged others to directly explain his mistakes. Due to the lack of medical needles, the doctor encouraged him and stitched up the wound with a thin needle, so that he finally recovered a life.
Curtain movement
In this way, the Choshu Domain was completely excluded from the historical stage and returned to the state of the former border power. The Odd Troops created by Takasugi Shinsaku, the Lux led by Shunsuke Ito, and the guerrillas, which led the times in the past, were also ordered to be disbanded. The crowd was driven out of Hagi Castle and fled into the distance.
These people gathered at Gongshan Temple in Changfu to discuss what to do in the future. But there's no good idea. The core figure, The Leader of the Strange Soldiers, Akane Takehito, wants to curry favor with the Vulgarists, and comes to Hagi Castle to apologize to the Folks, imploring them to stay with the Raiders. Takasugi Shinsaku, who was hiding in Kokura, Kyushu, heard about this and thought that if this happened, his past ideals would be in vain. Takasugi said that if something had not been done now, the country (for people at that time, the domain was its own country, but Takasugi meant japan including the Choshu domain) did not know where it would go, so he secretly returned to Choshu alone. He was sent away by a nun named Nomura Wangdong, who later gave him a Japanese song at Takasugi's side as Takasugi was dying.
Takasugi said to Wangdong, "I am ready to sacrifice. Then he left. Then he suddenly appeared at Gongshan Temple, where everyone had gathered, and advised everyone: "Now is the time of our rise, and the Choshu Domain ruled by the Secular Sect is no longer the Choshu Domain." Despite the opposition, he still insisted on stating his views and performed very well, which is probably the most brilliant point in Takasugi's entire career. In the middle of the night on December 15, there was light snow in the sky, and it was very cold, but he was talking passionately. The content is quite long, and it is briefly stated here. He first proposed: "You have been completely deceived by the mediation policy of Captain Akane Takehito. Who is Akane? He was a farmer in Oshima County. “
This sounds like what is now called identity discrimination. Hearing this, as mentioned earlier, Yamagata Rasuke (Aritomo), who came from a humble background (extremely low status in terms of identity system), said angrily: "Takasugi looks down on us so much, how can we follow such people?" So he ignored Takasugi. In addition to him, many people are also very angry, and the general trend seems to be difficult to shake. Takasugi's speech has since reached its climax: "I have decided to go to Hagi Castle alone to address the lord of the Maori domain. On the way, he may be killed by the colloquial party. But whether you live or die, do one mile, be faithful to one mile, do two miles, and be faithful to two miles. None of the Emperor's courtiers were idle. ”
Shinsaku Takasugi
Among them, the famous saying of "walking one mile" has been passed down to this day, which has greatly encouraged the audience. In addition, there is a letter sent by Takasugi to the friends of the Great Court, which is very well written. He said, "I would like to keep Akama Pass (now Shimonoseki), and after my death, I would only like to invite a geisha to play a shamisen in front of my tomb." Even when he dies, the funeral is bustling with excitement, and it is this realization that drives him forward.
Impressed by this wonderful speech of the "rebellion alone", Shunsuke Ito, later Hirobumi Ito, stood up and said, "Well, I will also do a mile, and I will be loyal to one mile." There were only sixteen of his lux troops, and since the captain said so, the others decided to go to Hagi Castle with Takasugi. Subsequently, more and more sympathizers joined in. In the end, a total of more than sixty people attacked and occupied the acting official post in Shimonoseki, as their own position, and obtained three more ships for use in case of a failed escape. In this regard, they launched a revolution in Choshu Domain (the word "revolution" did not exist at that time) and rose up. Whether it is indeed "more than sixty people" is unknown, but if you think about it, sixty is an interesting number, and Castro of Cuba led the sixty-one people to succeed in the revolution. I don't think it's easy to gather sixty people.
The Akagen Takeshi went to Hagi Castle, not in Choshu, and Yamagata, who had taken over the Odd Troops, was outnumbered, and seeing the excitement of the crowd, he decided to join them and led a large force of the Odd Troops to meet them on the sixteenth. In addition, various troops stationed along the Seto Inland Sea coast also joined in, and the so-called "revolution" of the Choshu Domain officially began.
This was at the end of the year, and soon it was the second year of Motoji (1865), and April of that year entered the first year of Keio. History generally believes that the beginning of 1865 is the first year of Keio, so it is called "Keio" here, I hope you know. On January 10, the rebel army, which wanted to reverse the trend, defeated the main force of the secular faction, and after the Vietnam war became more and more courageous, the leaders of the secular party committed suicide by cutting their stomachs.
On January 28, the lord of the clan carried out a reform of the clan government, and Choshu once again became the "Justice Party", the world of the extreme Yi faction that had previously aimed to establish a new system. However, by this time, the Choshu Clan had already abandoned the idea of Shuyi. Takasugi took the lead in saying that he would change his policy, proposing that it was no longer the era of The Yi Dynasty, and that in order to get the Yi Dynasty, it was necessary to open up the country, and then continue to absorb Western civilization and increase its strength before proceeding with the Yi Dynasty. "To open a country for the sake of destruction" is in line with the idea of the Satsuma Domain. As a result, the idea of Shogi began to disappear in choshu domain from this time. At the same time, Choshu also raised the banner of the anti-curtain, indicating that sooner or later there would be a big battle with the shogunate army. The Justice Party, which had fought against the Four-Nation Combined Fleet, decided to strengthen the water force before an emergency. So they quickly summoned Yoshijiro Omura to carry out military reform and began to create and train modern armies.
The shogunate could not have been unaware of this movement in Choshu. The shogunate learned that the Choshu domain had changed its attitude and showed a hostile intention that was worse than the anti-curtain, which could be called the fall of the curtain. Therefore, in the spring of the first year of Keio, the shogunate decided to start the formation of a second Choshu Expeditionary Force, again to conquer Choshu, this time with the goal of completely destroying it.
Shintaro Nakaba Yoshikata Hisamoto
The above is all about the story of what happened in Choshu, and here is a slight diversion. At a time of national turmoil, two people seriously considered Japan's future. That is Shintaro Nakaoka and Hisamoto Togata, the tosa domain's de-domain de-domain. Tokata has always been with Mitsumi Mitsuru, so he inherits Sanjo's ideas. Neither of them had ever seen Katsukai, and in the process of examining the development of the times, they believed that if they continued to ignore the chaos of the country today, it would be difficult to resist the aggression of the Western powers, and soon Japan would become a colony of the great powers. The two discussed the matter, believing that at this time, satsuma and Choshu, the two powerful clans, should unite closely and establish a new state. Exactly when this decision was made is unknown, but the two seem to have been acting under the guidance of this policy not long ago.
Shintaro Nakaba
Both are extremes and inverted theorists. Ordinary yidiists did not propose the fall of the curtain, but the two insisted on the idea of falling from the beginning. Later, Shintaro Nakaoka was assassinated by the Assassins along with Sakamoto Ryoma on the second floor of Omiya in Kyoto. Ryoma thought that there was no need to overthrow the shogunate, and it was better to incorporate the shogunate into a republic and administer the country in this form. But Shintaro Nakaoka insisted on the theory of falling curtains. While the two were discussing on the second floor of Omiya, Ryoma placed the knife in a niche slightly farther away, and Nakaoka placed the long knife behind the partition. Therefore, when the Assassins entered, Nakaoka could only resist with a knife. Why put the knife so far away? Because the two people with different ideas were afraid of quarrelling and drawing their swords during the debate, in order to avoid this situation, the knife was placed in the distance in advance - of course, this is my personal idea. In short, Shintaro Nakaoka is an extreme curtain-down theorist.
According to Nakaoka and Tokata, Satsuma had 770,000 stones and Choshu 360,000 stones (somewhat lower than when they first conquered Choshu), and the two powerful clans had several things in common: First, both clans were Western armies in the Sekigahara War and had a deep hatred for the Tokugawa shogunate. In Satsuma, when people encounter misfortune, they will chant "Sekigahara, Sekigahara" in their mouths and endure in silence. In Choshu, there was such a custom, every January, when the courtiers paid homage to the lord of the domain, they would say, "Is the revenge of sekigahara's war avenged?" The duke replied, "The great vengeance has not been repaid." This means that the revenge of sekigahara's war has not yet been repaid. Both clans succeeded in improving their financial resources (half thanks to the smuggling trade) and had strong national strength. Both domains are located on the border far from Edo and have a geographical advantage. Fourth, both clans have a strong desire for power. Fifth, both clans are keen on learning, and their talents are very rich. If the two clans with these commonalities were united, they would be able to fight against the shogunate of seven million stones, which was the agreement of the two of them. It is worth mentioning in particular that Nakaoka Shintaro wrote in his book "The Theory of the Situation": "In order to establish a national system and resist the contempt and insults of the foreign yi, the reconciliation of the two clans is crucial." "He has a strong sense of mission and moves around with the mission of achieving the Sachang Alliance.
Hisamoto Hijikata
In the spring of the first year of Keio, the shogunate announced the second conquest of Choshu, mainly ordering the western Japanese domains to send troops. In this regard, satsuma clan said that this war is different from the previous one, there is no legitimate name, the reason for the conquest is unknown, so it should not start a war, so it clearly stated that it would not send troops. Nakaoka and Togata agreed that since Satsuma opposed the second conquest of Choshu, it was time and action must be taken immediately. Saigo Takamori, who had returned to Kagoshima, would soon be coming to Kyoto, and if he could take the opportunity to persuade him to go to Shimonoseki and let him meet with Takasugi Shinsaku or Katsura Kogoro who had come from Hagi Castle, he might be able to eliminate the enemy relationship and advance the alliance through talks between the leaders of the two clans.
Nakaoka immediately headed to Saigo in Kagoshima. Tokata, on the other hand, went to Hagi Castle, ready to persuade Katsura Kogoro, who had returned from his hermitage. Actually, I think Togaru should have persuaded Takasugi Shinsaku, but that's the interesting part of history, just before Takasugi and his concubine, The Geisha Tanime, fled to Shikoku. He worked hard to cheer up the Miracle Army, defeat the secularists, and re-let the Justice Party regain the world. But there are both seamless ways in this person's actions and places where it is easy for others to misunderstand. Yesterday I was a tough ripper, but this morning I woke up as a foundingist. He did not explain that the founding of the country was also for the sake of yiyi, but only insisted on the idea of the founding of the country, so some of his companions were dissatisfied with him and wanted to assassinate him. There was a danger of assassination if he continued to stay in the domain, so he pooled the funds of the people around him and prepared to flee abroad to Shanghai, but he was targeted for "absconding with money". Reluctantly, he divided the funds he had raised among Yamagata and Shunsuke Ito, while he himself fled to the home of Hinayagi, known as the "Royalist Gambler of the Four Kingdoms". It was late April.
On the other hand, Katsura Kogoro returned from Deshi and took up the position of minister of foreign affairs in Hagi Castle, which is what is known today as the position of foreign minister. According to the tufang, he asked the lord of the clan, Maori, if he could meet with Saigo, and Maori replied: "We can talk." Depending on the situation, you can also go to Dazaifu. "Here he shows his open mind. There are three real beauties in Dazaifu.
History is really interesting. As the previous chapter said: "History has a will. "In the torrent of history, when a certain will comes into play, the right person will appear. Exactly. At this time, if the decisive Takasugi Shinsaku appears, can the Sacho Alliance be formed smoothly? This is not known. But when Satsuma is ambiguous and procrastinating, if Takasugi is there, he may say, "What are you guys rubbing?" How long will it be? However, Gui Xiaogoro is a prudent diplomat and a strong negotiator. An interesting story is introduced here, in which Shintaro Nakaoka said of Shinsaku Takasugi and Katsura Kogoro:
"He has courage, knowledge, and thoughtfulness, and when discussing political difficulties in the courtroom, he will remain patient and will not directly refuse, this is Gui Xiaogoro." There is strategy, there is strategy, there is no fear of change, there is no delay, waiting for opportunities, arrogance, this is Takasugi Shinsaku. ”
As Nakaoka said, as a strategist, Takasugi is very good, but as a political strategist, Katsura Kogoro is even better. Takasugi was an uninhibited man who attached great importance to the Choshu Domain; However, Katsura Kogoro was good friends with many other clans, had a wide range of contacts, and was a person who considered things beyond the position of the self-domain. In short, if the chief of staff appeared at this time as a diplomat and a chief of staff, how would things change? And if the diplomat Katsura Kogoro appears, will things go smoothly? History always chooses the right people at the right time.
The foundation of the unity of the Saqqamese was consolidated
On the fifth day of the leap month, Togata brought Katsura Kogoro to Shimonoseki to live in the residence of the wealthy merchant Shoichiro Shiraishi. Shiraishi supplied food and weapons to the Raiders, and has been looking forward to Takasugi Shinsaku, who has been providing assistance during Takasugi's lifetime. Speaking of Shimonoseki, it is also the ancient battlefield of the Genpei War, and the place where Li Hongzhang and Ito Hirobumi negotiated and signed a treaty during the Sino-Japanese War, and there are many historical sites. Due to the relationship between the Bochen War and the history of the end of the shogunate, there are statues of Takasugi Shinsaku in Nichiwasan Park, the remains of The Tokai-an Temple, and the remains of the Choshu Fort. Regarding the remains of the Shiraishi Mansion, only a stone monument was erected in front of the China Electric Power Shimonoseki Sales Office in The Three Chondomes in Takezaki Town. In short, the great turning point from the end of the curtain to the restoration officially began.
Ryoma came to this White Stone Mansion by chance, which may be the "will of history". Ryoma was completely unaware of Nakaoka and Tsuchikata's plans, but he favored Satsuma and Choshu abandoning their hatred and forming an alliance to push down the shogunate. Ryoma is a person who is very interested in new things. On the sixth day, he met with Katsura Kogoro. Many books record that the two were friends when they were practicing swordsmanship in Edo, and I actually wrote about it when I was writing for a magazine. However, after recent investigation, it was found that the two practiced at different times and it was impossible to meet – this should be true. When and when Katsura Kogoro stayed in Edo, and whether Ryoma was in Edo at that time, I have not seriously compared this. But if you want to make the story full of drama, let the two people meet like old acquaintances to say "Ah, long time no see", and then start talking, it is even more entertaining. In any case, Ryoma joined the idea of the Sachang Alliance for the first time.
Sakamoto Ryoma
Ryoma talked to Katsura Kogoro and Togata for three days. It was too early to say that Ryoma and Katsura Kogoro had become confidants, but three days later, Katsura finally agreed to their plan. However, if you refer to satsuma's style in the past, you can see that the wind has made the rudder change in many ways, and there is no credibility to speak of. Moreover, the two clans became enemies in the Clam Gate Rebellion. Whether or not to trust the other party is really difficult to decide. Togata told Katsura that Nakaoka would immediately bring Saigo here, please wait a little longer. Katsura replied, "Then I will wait here." So he stayed in Shimonoseki.
However, on the 21st of May, Saigo, who had planned to come to Shimonoseki, did not come. Only Nakaoka was the only one who came. After asking exactly what it was, I learned that the two had originally planned to come together, but Okubo Kazuzo suddenly sent a message from Kyoto, telling Saigo to "come to Beijing quickly". In an emergency, Saigo had to go to Kyoto anyway. As a result, Saigo did not go to Shimonoseki and went directly to Kyoto.
Tokata and Ryoma ask if Saigo is not interested in the matter. No, he was interested. So why not come?
The crowd was discouraged, and the most disappointed of them was Gui Xiaogoro. He even wanted to scold, "What the hell are you going to do?" Is it to play me! ”
Ryoma mediated from it. He said, "I understand your indignation very well, but Saigo also has his difficulties." Everyone is for the future of the country. At a time of national crisis, the two clans must now freeze their past grievances and unite as one. This is the best strategy. The matter does not end here, Mr. Gui, please cooperate with us in the future. ”
Persuaded, Katsura Kogoro proposes a plan, hoping that Satsuma will show his sincerity toward Choshu. That is, at present, Choshu was hostile to the shogunate and could not carry out any trade with foreign countries. Even if you want to buy guns, it is difficult to do so under the surveillance of Nagasaki. Therefore, Choshu wanted to buy the ships, cannons, and iron cannons it needed in satsuma's name, and in order to fight the shogunate, these weapons had to be sent to Choshu. Of course, this is not gratuitous, and if it can be done, Choshu will recognize Satsuma's sincerity. Ryoma said, "It's not that hard to do. Saying that he would find a way to persuade the lord of the domain, he and Nakaoka went to Kyoto on the 29th of may.
After arriving in Kyoto, they meet with Saigo and Komatsu with a knife (Shōgoro The Liver in "Tokuhime", son-in-law of the Komatsu family, an important figure in Satsuma) and ask them to help Choshu buy weapons in Satsuma's name. Although there were differences of opinion, after a full exchange, the two finally agreed, and proposed that Choshu should sell the food to Satsuma in exchange. Ryoma and Nakaoka believe that Choshu should have no opinion. This is what happened on June 24. Both clans provided practical benefits to the other, and formal negotiations began on the basis of confirming the interests.
Weapons at that time were purchased from the British merchant Clofer, and the Kameyama Society (later the Sea Aid Team) founded by Ryoma played a huge role, and this must be mentioned in books about Ryoma.
Japan's national policy was changed to the date of the founding of the country
In this way, satsuma's negotiations with Choshu continued secretly under the mediation of Nakaoka, Sakamoto, and Tokata. On the other hand, the shogunate finally decided to conquer Choshu, and the shogun Ieshige deliberately set out from Edo on May 16 and entered Osaka Castle on May 25, making it his base camp. Iemo was twenty years old. It is not known whether he really wanted to be the commander-in-chief, but he came to Osaka at the request of the shogunate's cabinet.
On the other hand, Choshu, which did not intend to surrender this time, said on June 6 that even if the mountains turned into scorched earth, they would fight to the end. Since Choshu had made it clear that it would not surrender, the "Ichigosang regime" of Kyungki, Rongbao, and Dingjing had to go to Kyoto to ask for the imperial court's approval. The final request for conquest of Choshu was on September 20, and a showdown was inevitable. In this way, although the shogunate has been calling for "conquest of Choshu", it has not taken any actual action. Large-scale troop dispatches are not as simple as imagined, and Satsuma and Choshu moved earlier than they did. It was a battle of large battleships versus light cruisers.
On the 21st, the imperial court issued a second edict to conquer Choshu, and the "Ichigosan regime" issued mobilization orders to the western clans such as Kurume, Kumamoto, and Hiroshima, and of course to satsuma. Ōkubo Kazuzo and the others came to the imperial court, protested loudly to Theraku Nijo Kikei, and took strong protests to stop the edict:
"If you want to send troops, you must understand their great righteousness and correct their names." If the name is ambiguous, even if it is the order of the general, the various clans cannot carry it out. Choshu will do his best to obey and wait for the edict (how to dispose of the lord of the clan, whether to confiscate tens of thousands of stones, how much compensation to pay). At present, the shogunate's conquest of Choshu makes no sense. It was hoped that the imperial court would categorically order the shogunate to be stopped. ”
Satsuma objected to the battle and said he would not send troops. Qingxi, Rong Bao, and Dingjing, who heard about this, came to the imperial court again and proposed: "If we do not adopt the advice of the commander, we can only resign." The court debated endlessly, and although it was finally decided to hold high the banner of the second conquest of Choshu, the various clans were slow and unprepared.
There's a big problem here. Previously, the Treaty of Treaty of Rapprochement of Trade between Japan and the United States was signed with the United States, and treaties on the repair of trade were also signed with the Netherlands, Russia, Britain, and France, stipulating the opening of Yokohama, Shimoda, Hakodate, Niigata, Nagasaki, and Hyogo as treaty ports. However, as mentioned earlier, due to various circumstances, the imperial court did not agree, requesting a five-year delay in the opening of Niigata and Hyogo. As the five-year pact approached, on September 16, nine warships of the Combined Fleet anchored in Hyogo, demanding that the shogunate in Osaka open Hyogo as agreed. Of the nine warships, five were British warships, of which Minister Pashali was seated, three were French warships, Minister Roches was aboard, Dutch warship was one, and Consul General Van Polsbruck was seated. There were no American warships here, and the Acting U.S. Minister, Botman, came on a British warship. The reason why the American warships did not come was because between 1861 and 1865, when President Lincoln was assassinated, the Civil War was at its most intense, and the United States had no spare energy to send warships to Japan.
The opening of Hyogo must be resolved by a way. However, there were only three leaders of the Kusan regime in Kyoto, and of course there were nearly ten senior lords, but the lords of the strong domain all went back to the domain. The fact that the Sang regime had gathered nine warships in Hyogo was reported to the imperial court, and the entire imperial court was panicked. To repeat, Emperor Hyomyō hated foreigners in his bones, and he didn't want foreigners to come to a port so close to Kyoto. Having said that, the tough stance of driving away foreigners disappeared without a trace, and public officials around Kyoto offered to postpone the opening date as much as possible. The three members of the Sang regime for a while thought that this was simply impossible, and that it was impossible to abolish the treaty. Now that only the port was opened, the imperial court had to accede to their demands. "If this continues to be opposed, we will have to resign, and you can fight against the warships as much as you want, but in this way, foreigners may enter the Kyoto Imperial Palace." Qingxi threatened and forced them to make a decision.
On the evening of October 4, in order to persuade the public, the people held a meeting in front of the imperial court at the small imperial palace. Emperor Xiaoming sat behind the bamboo curtain and listened to everyone's opinions. However, the meeting was not attended by a single lord of the strong clan. After a while, the three sangs explained their opinions to the public, and the royal servants of the various powerful clans attended the meeting. Kyung-hee uses his eloquent and passionate eloquence, stating the main elements as follows:
"If we still indulge in the fantasy of the Yi, it will lead to a war, and the foreign army will kill Kyoto, and once it is outnumbered, it is impossible to make peace easily." The whole of Japan will be scorched earth, and I am afraid that the emperor will not be able to keep the throne. ”
Although he tried his best to argue, the opinions of the imperial court could not be reached. Emperor Xiaoming remained silent. At night, things still didn't progress. Since this was the case, the crowd decided to gather again tomorrow the thirty-five states of the Kyo domains as the relevant ones, and then make a decision after full discussion. Qingxi roared angrily, "No matter what, I will never leave the court until the treaty is approved!" ”
After everyone else had left, Keiki spent the night alone inside the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, so stubbornly trying to shake the imperial court. On the fifth day, a large meeting was held with a large number of people. The emperor still sat behind a bamboo curtain. There were many discussions during the meeting, and finally Qingxi stood up and loudly intimidated the public. His contents were written in his own handwriting:
"No way. Then I will kill myself here and fulfill my duty to General Tokugawa. My life is nothing. I just don't know if I can have a little touch on Tokugawa's courtiers and secretaries of state when I commit suicide by cutting my stomach off my stomach? I was mentally prepared to kill myself if I didn't get permission. ”
After such a threat, he stood up and planned to go away. But this is just a trick for him to pretend to leave. The public felt that "this matter is not good", so they prevented Qingxi from leaving, and the situation changed in an instant. That night, Emperor Takaaki said, "Just allow Hyogo to open according to Ichibashi's request." ”
As a last resort, the imperial court formally issued an edict to implement the treaty. Acknowledging the treaty of commerce that had previously been signed by the shogunate without authorization and opposed by the imperial court, it was decided to adopt the national policy of founding the country. Here is a letter from Emperor Xiaoming to Guan Bai Nijo Qi Jing, explaining his mood at that time:
It is sad that the suffering of all the peoples is at hand, and it is indeed sad that we cannot bear to see this situation. Nowadays, we can only rely on the action of a bridge, although we are unwilling to acquiesce to this, and we can only recognize the reality. (I listened to everyone's discussion at the imperial council, and in short, things were quite difficult.) Maintaining the continuation of the royal family is the most important thing, and he is very disgusted with foreign countries, but he cannot ruin the entire royal family because of his own selfish desires, so he will be ashamed of his royal ancestors. ）
Emperor Xiaoming did not stick to his own opinions according to his own likes and dislikes, but attached great importance to the continuation of the royal bloodline. The Celestial Royal Family is always so interesting that the continuation of the royal bloodline is regarded as the most important thing. The second is the reluctance to see the suffering of all peoples, and the conclusion is that "there is no way" when considered together.
While the imperial court was arguing over the opening of the port, Sadaoyi was walking on the streets of Osaka Castle. He wrote in his diary: "The people of Osaka are very kind and very kind to me, and they are easy to accept foreigners. "The disputes that have been incessant since Perry's voyage were finally resolved by the imperial court's edict, and the founding of the country became Japan's national policy. Now it is impossible to continue to destroy, and the shogunate cannot decide on its own. The imperial court issued an edict to fully recognize treaties with foreign countries. Japan's national policy was agreed upon, and since then everyone has rebuilt the country on the basis of the founding of the country.
I once advocated the "Forty Years Theory" in the "Showa History" (Ordinary Society). That is, japan's modern history began in the first year of Keio and ended the Russo-Japanese War in Meiji 38 (1905), which was forty years after Japan became one of the world's great powers, and then from 1945 to 1945, it was the decline of the Japanese Empire. In addition, after a six-and-a-half-year occupation period, post-war Japan began to create a new state in 1952, reaching its peak in 1988 and the following year, and the bubble economy collapsed in 1992, which was also a period of forty years. It can also be said that it takes forty years to create a country and forty years to destroy a country.
In short, Japan's national policy was unified in the first year of Keio (1865). It should not have been during this period that the fall of the curtain and the start of a civil war should have been proposed, but rather concerted efforts in the same direction. But it was too late, and even a decision would not help now. After more than a decade of debate, the shogunate's authority and financial resources had been exhausted, and it was not only unreliable, but also a trouble. To create a new state, the shogunate must be overthrown, and as the people gradually moved in this direction, the imperial court issued an edict first.
History is ironic, and if this decision had been made two or three years ago, the situation would have been completely different. At present, even if the national policy is consistent, who will act in accordance with the national policy?
In short, the shogunate cabinet officials informed the four-nation combined fleet that it had received the imperial court's approval, and then it could open the country according to the regulations. It is still difficult to open Hyogo immediately at this time, so we hope that they will wait a little longer. The Four Kingdoms Fleet was relieved to learn that the imperial court, which insisted on opposing the founding of the country, finally agreed. Japan has decided to open its country completely, and all that remains is to wait for the opening of its ports. The next day, the combined fleet anchored and left.
The Sachang Alliance was formed
It would be much easier if the story ended there, but in fact it was about to enter the climax of the end of the shogunate. At the end of the curtain, the restoration was followed, and although I did not want to use the word "restoration", I always began to work hard to build a new country. Driven by the strategies of the three young men Ryoma, Shintaro, and Hisamoto, the two clans, who had previously had a bad relationship, quickly became friends. Weapons purchased from the Glover Chamber of Commerce had been shipped to Choshu, and Satsuma was adamantly opposed to a second conquest of Choshu and ignored the shogunate.
In mid-November, Ryoma, along with his partner Kuroda Sukesuke (Kiyotaka) of Satsuma, came to Shimonoseki and met with Nakaoka, who was waiting there, with the major figures of Choshu, including Katsura Kogoro, Takasugi, Ito, Inoue, and Yamagata, and once again proposed reconciliation with Satsuma. Some people may be quite surprised, but at the moment, it is Satsuma who opposes the conquest of Choshu and buys weapons according to Choshu's wishes and transports them to Choshu. At present, there is no choice but to abandon past grievances and work together to build a new country. However, although the two sides have reluctantly reached a reconciliation, the Choshu people, who had previously hated Satsuma to the bone, still harbor a sense of distrust. Thanks to Ryoma, he temporarily dispelled the suspicions of the Choshu people and mediated between the two sides.
On December 28, Katsura Kogoro took Yajiro Shinagawa and Miyoshi Guntaro and other Choshu samurai from Mitajiri and arrived in Fushimi on January 8 of 2022, and under the guidance of Saigo and Murata Shinpachi, who were waiting here, they arrived at the Satsuma official residence in Nipponmatsu, Kyoto. If the two sides start negotiations directly, things may be settled smoothly. But the reality didn't go so well, and Ryoma reappeared.
On January 20, Ryoma, who was busy with naval reinforcements, happened to be on his way to Kyoto, and he thought that "things have been negotiated", so he happily went to satsuma's residence, but found that the negotiations had not progressed. After inquiring about Katsura Kogoro, he learned that after arriving here, they were busy with social entertainment every day, and the alliance was not mentioned at all. Ryoma was surprised and asked, "What the hell is going on?" If so, can't you come up with it? ”
Katsura said, "Since arriving in Kyoto, we have indeed been treated well by the satsuma domain. However, satsuma did not mention anything about the alliance, and we are not in a position to take the initiative. After being defeated by the shogunate army, Choshu was helpless and isolated. If you propose an alliance strategy at this time, it is as if you are asking for the mercy of others. You say it so easily, but from the spirit of Bushido, you can't do it. Now that I feel that hospitality is enough, I will be ready to go back tomorrow and start an all-out battle with the shogunate, even if the second place of the defense is reduced to scorched earth, and the Satsuma domain can survive and be loyal to the imperial kingdom, I will be satisfied. ”
Ryoma scolded Gui Xiaogoro, "Nonsense! What Bushido spirit, what clan self-esteem, these count for something! This is not the time to say this! ”
It is said that Ryoma is an open-minded person and is not easily angry. He had only been angry twice in his life, this time, and once when the Iroha Maru was sunk by the Kishu Domain ship, and he was furious when negotiating with the Kishu Domain.
In short, if you don't take this opportunity, there will be no second chance. What clan's reputation, what Bushido spirit, he turned his head and reprimanded Saigo: "We are definitely not standing up for your clan, nor for our own reputation and money, but for the sake of this country." There are differences between you, but can't you put aside these trivial matters for a while, put on a lot of courage, and discuss the future of Japan for the sake of the world? ”
"Nakaoka and I risked our lives to do this for our country, and I sincerely hope that you can work together."
Hearing this, Saigo said, "I see. We are very sorry, but we will raise the alliance matter immediately. So he and Komatsu met with Katsura Kogoro and the other three members of the Choshu clan. They listened silently to the three of them state their past troubles, nodded their heads in approval, and finally reached an alliance.
On January 21, the Sachang League was officially formed. The Covenant consists of six articles, the following are the four most important of them:
At the beginning of the second conquest of Choshu, Satsuma immediately sent more than two thousand soldiers to support Choshu. In addition, a thousand soldiers were sent to Osaka to resolutely defend Kyoto and Osaka.
Second, morale must also be kept high when the war is gained. At that time, the two clans will report their efforts to the imperial court and gain the approval of the imperial court.
Even if the war is defeated, the Choshu Domain will not completely collapse within a year or six months, during which time the two sides must cooperate to the end and fight to the end.
The middle two are omitted, and the last one is the most important:
On the basis of clearing away the grievances of the Choshu clan, the two clans must cooperate sincerely and do whatever it takes to crush the bones of our Country of Japan. For the sake of the Japanese nation, with the goal of promoting the imperial prestige, and in order not to repeat the tragic situation of today, we must help each other and cooperate for a win-win situation.
Speaking of the Sachang Alliance, it is easy to understand that the two sides have reached an offensive and defensive alliance. However, this was not the case, but it was clear that when Choshu was attacked, Satsuma would do his best to provide support, and at the same time, the two clans would jointly bow down for the imperial state and promote the prestige of the country.