Chapter 872 The era of [Executioner] is over! [5100]
Although Nagasaki was a territory directly under the shogunate, it was deeply influenced by Satsuma due to its proximity to it.
After a brief moment of astonishment, Goto Shojiro asked:
"Why did Ryoma Sakamoto go to Nagasaki? What was he doing in Nagasaki?"
Itagaki Taisuke replied calmly:
"I don't know the specific reason."
"Currently, I only know that Ryoma Sakamoto gathered a group of people in Nagasaki, and with the help of Satsuma, he established a trading company called Kameyama Shachu, which specializes in shipping. The business seems to be very good."
Shezhong - can generally be understood as a company.
Guishan Society means "Guishan Company".
"Trading company? Shipping? What kind of goods does he transport?"
Itagaki Taisuke looked around, then lowered his voice and said in a deep voice:
"It's not clear yet."
"However, according to all the information currently known, the goods transported by his Guishan Society are most likely weapons and equipment!"
Suddenly, Goto Shojiro's pupils shrank, and a strange color appeared on his face.
"As expected of a member of the Sakamoto family, he is quite business-savvy."
After murmuring like this, Goto Shojiro slightly pursed his lips, thinking.
Itagaki Taisuke waited quietly.
About half a minute later, Itagaki Taisuke broke the silence:
"Goto-kun, I think that today's Sakamoto Ryoma has high win-win value."
Goto Shojiro didn't seem surprised by Itagaki Taisuke's suggestion, and asked calmly:
"Oh? Please tell me in detail."
Itagaki Taisuke cleared his throat and spoke:
"First of all, although the specific relationship between Sakamoto Ryoma and the Satsuma Domain has not yet been confirmed, it is certain that he is related to the Satsuma Domain."
"In this case, he can become a bridge of communication between us and Satsuma Domain."
"Satsuma is one of the most powerful vassal states today."
"Strengthening the relationship between this domain and Satsuma will bring all the benefits without any harm."
"Secondly, Ryoma Sakamoto has now transformed into a shipping businessman."
"Westerners have proven the importance of the ocean with brilliant achievements."
"Tosa is a vassal state bordering the ocean. If we want to increase our national power, we must vigorously develop maritime transportation."
"There is no harm in us making friends with more successful shipping businessmen."
"It would be better if Ryoma Sakamoto could really transport weapons and equipment. We are currently lacking advanced guns and artillery."
"All in all, compared with the value Sakamoto Ryoma possesses today, his sins such as 'breaking away from the feudal domain' and 'colluding with the Tosa Kinnoi Party' are nothing worth mentioning."
Goto Shojiro listened quietly.
After Itagaki finished speaking, he laughed:
"Itagaki-kun, you and I want to go together."
"This Sakamoto Ryoma has some abilities, much better than his little one."
The "faxiao" he refers to naturally refers to Wushi Banpingtai.
Whenever he talks about Takeshi Hanheita, a look of explicit disdain always appears on his cheeks.
"I immediately ordered people to go to Nagasaki to find Sakamoto Ryoma, try to contact him, and find out what he thinks. Is he willing to cooperate with us, or to sever ties with Tosun?"
Itagaki Taisuke nodded vigorously:
"Well, that's very good!"
After the two quickly reached a consensus, Goto Shojiro took out an exquisite pocket watch from his arms, looked at the time, and said:
"Itagaki-kun, I have something else to do, so I'll excuse you now."
"In such a hurry? I was thinking of going to have a drink with you after a long time since we rarely meet each other. Is it something big?"
Goto Shojiro twitched the corner of his mouth and sneered:
"No big deal, just going to see Takeshi Hanheita."
Itagaki Taisuke said softly, "Ah", and then looked helpless.
"Goto-kun, you are the chief prosecutor of the 'Yoshida Toyo Murder Case', so I can't comment on it."
"But I still have to say one thing: the eldest lord has recently vaguely revealed his intention to 'deal with' Takeshi Hanheita as soon as possible."
"So you'd better deal with Wushi Banpingtai as soon as possible to avoid long nights and dreams."
The great lord——that is, Shannei Tang.
Having said that, Itagaki stepped back and stood half a step aside to make way for him.
Goto Shojiro said calmly:
"Don't worry, I have my own sense of discretion."
After speaking, he raised his feet and moved forward, and soon his figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.
…
…
Tosa Domain, Kochi Castle (the feudal hall of Tosa Domain), Takeshi Hanheita's cell——
Wushi Banpingtai was sitting dignifiedly and steadily, with his eyes closed, as if in meditation.
Compared to before, he looked much more haggard.
His skin was dull, his hair was messy, his beard was unkempt, and he looked very slovenly and embarrassed.
However, even though he was a prisoner, he never gave up his pride as a samurai and never allowed his waist to bend in front of Goto Shojiro and others.
Because it is a cell specially prepared for sergeants, all facilities are complete.
The floor is paved with tatami mats, and there are bedding and tables. Although the daily meals are not rich, they are not shabby either.
For Takeichi Hanheita, the only drawback of this cell...probably is that it is too close to his companions who are being tortured.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh-!"
"Enough, enough...I have...told you everything I know...what else do you want from me?"
"Stop...stop! I can't do it anymore! Stop...ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"
One after another, miserable screams surrounded Wushi Hanpingtai from all directions.
This was Goto Shojiro's intentional move.
Although Goto Shojiro had no intention to torture Takeichi Hanheita as a "sergeant", this did not mean that he wanted to let him go.
Goto Shojiro specially made the execution site of Okada Izo and others adjacent to Takeichi Hanheita's cell.
The purpose was to allow Takeshi Hanheita to hear the pitiful screams of his companions from time to time, so that he could not rest in peace.
Just when Wu Shi Banping was closing his eyes and concentrating, the sound of footsteps coming from far and near came from outside the cell.
He opened his eyes and took a look - he saw Goto Shojiro standing upright outside the cell door with his hands behind his back, looking down at him expressionlessly, looking at each other.
"...Goto-kun, long time no see."
Takeshi Hanpingtai was the first to say hello.
Goto Shojiro showed no appreciation and said coldly:
"You must have heard about it, right? The Changzhou Army was defeated by King Ni and was completely defeated."
"..."
"The concept of 'respecting the king and rejecting the barbarians' that you have always adhered to is purely a joke. Throughout history, every time the emperor and ministers rioted, the world was bound to be in chaos. Baoyuan Pingzhi and chaos, and the chaos in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, were all caused by the court's greed for power.
Are the people all over the country having trouble living?"
"..."
"As for 'repelling the foreigners', it is even more ridiculous. Changzhou's disastrous defeat in the Xiaguan War has proved how irrational it is to go to war with the Westerners."
"..."
"Takeshi Hanheita, it's time for you to admit defeat, right? Your ideas and your actions are completely wrong. It would be good for you and me to confess as soon as possible."
This time, Wu Shi Banping did not remain silent any longer.
He replied calmly:
"...I have a clear conscience. Everything I did was for the lord and Tosa."
When Goto Shojiro heard this, he immediately responded like a conditioned reflex and snorted heavily.
"What a 'clear conscience'!"
"It's been more than a year, and you're still stubborn!"
"You only care about your 'clear conscience'!"
"To put it bluntly, you only care about yourself! Have you ever thought about anything else?!"
These merciless words made him choke back.
"..."
Wushi Banpingtai did not respond and remained silent.
Goto Shojiro put on an unabashedly sarcastic tone and continued:
"Hmph, you are such a heartless guy!"
As he spoke, he glanced around Hanping Tai's cell in Takeshi.
"You have soft tatami mats to lie down on, hot meals to eat, and someone to take care of you even when you defecate."
"While you were living comfortably, your accomplices were trapped in the eighteenth level of hell, and their lives were worse than death."
"Many people bit off their tongues and tried to commit suicide because they could not bear the torture."
"Hmph, they are really stupid. They think they can get rid of everything by biting off their tongues."
"I don't know, but it's not that simple to bite your tongue and kill yourself."
"Either you swallow the half-cut tongue down your throat and choke yourself to death."
"Either choke to death with the blood that spurts out, or wait for a while and bleed to death after all the blood is shed."
"Those who tried to bite their tongues were all revived by us."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, how pitiful."
"However, they are not the most pitiful."
"Of all those who were tortured, Okada Izo suffered the worst."
"He didn't even have the strength to bite off his tongue."
"Honestly speaking, after seeing the miserable state of Okada Izo now, even though I am a stone-hearted person who hates you so much, I can't help but feel pity in my heart."
"Hey, Okada Izo is your favorite disciple, isn't he?"
"I hear you've been loving that guy."
"Not only did he accept him as a disciple, but he also personally funded his studies in Edo."
"After forming the Tosa Kinnobu Party, you always entrusted me with important responsibilities."
"It's just that the tasks you gave him are all dirty and shameful work."
Goto Shojiro said and made a "beheading" gesture in his throat.
"I don't know what your feelings are for Okada Izo."
"Looking at the other party, he is very loyal to you."
"Whenever he couldn't stand it any longer, he would repeatedly whisper 'Teacher Wushi', 'Teacher Wushi'."
"He regards you as his only support."
"In my opinion, the most devout believer in the world is nothing more than this."
"You just watch him suffer?"
"Takeshi Hanheita, as long as you explain everything, your accomplices will not have to suffer anymore."
"Listen, right now, countless of your accomplices are suffering, thinking only of death."
"As long as you say a word, these screams and moans will stop immediately."
"The innocent will be released immediately."
"The guilty will be punished on the spot and given a happy life."
Goto Shojiro's words can be regarded as a sufficient step forward.
However……
"..."
Wu Shi Banping was unmoved.
Not to mention that he spoke, he just sat there blankly, not even moving, treating the other person as nothing.
Seeing this, Goto Shojiro slowly lowered his eyelids, his eyes bursting with meaningful expression.
"...That's right, it's impossible for you to agree to these requests of mine."
"After all, you really hope that we kill all your accomplices as soon as possible, especially that Okada Izo, right?"
It seemed like he was asking a rhetorical question, but in fact his words were full of determination.
"..."
Wushi Banpingtai still remained silent.
Goto Shojiro, who felt like he was communicating with a wooden person, gritted his teeth with displeasure:
"Consume it! Consume it! Just consume it slowly! I will accompany you to the end!"
…
…
Ta! Ta! Ta! Ta! Ta!
Goto Shojiro strode away, making a dull and loud sound of "ta", "ta", "ta" on the ground.
Although the sound of his footsteps has faded away, Takeshi Hanheita still looks like "petrified on the spot", with his body motionless and no expression on his face.
Suddenly, a voice came from outside the cell door:
"Teacher Wu Shi, are you... okay?"
A young samurai dressed as a jailer was seen squatting outside the cell door, looking at Takeichi Hanheita with a worried expression.
This jailer's name is Oishi Yataro.
Although he was not a member of the Tosa Kinnoi Party, he had always admired the talented Hanheita Takeichi.
Therefore, during the time when Hanping Tai was in jail in Wuhan, he had been taking care of him as much as possible.
Sometimes he would send some nutritional supplements, sometimes he would relay the news from the outside world, and sometimes he would help inform Ban Pingtai's family in Wu City that he was safe.
The arrival of Oishi Yataro finally made Takeichi Hanheita react and no longer "petrified".
"Oishi-kun, you are here."
"Teacher Wu Shi, are you... okay?"
Wushi Banpingtai smiled slightly:
"I'm fine, don't worry. I've heard enough of Goto's clichés this year that my ears are almost numb."
After making a small joke, Wushi Banping paused.
After a moment, he asked quietly:
"What happened to Yi Zang...?"
Oishi Yataro was startled, with a troubled expression on his face:
"It's so miserable to hide him..."
"After fainting from pain, I was poured water on me to wake me up. After I woke up, I continued to be tortured. Then I fainted from pain again, and then I was woken up again... This happened several times, every day..."
"If it were me, I wouldn't be able to hold on for a few days at most."
"It can be hidden but it lasted for more than a year..."
"It's really... so tragic... so tragic..."
At the end of his words, he couldn't speak any more and let out a long sigh, with a look of sympathy on his face.
After hearing this, Wu Shi Banping pursed his lips, and a look of struggle flashed in his eyes.
Then, he was seen staring straight into the void in front of him, as if thinking about something.
"...Oishi-kun, can you do me a favor?"
Yataro Oishi responded subconsciously:
"Huh? Teacher Wushi, please tell me."
Takeshi Hanheita slid his knees to close the distance between the two of them, and leaned close to the cell door.
Then, he took out a snow-white steamed bun from his arms.
Japanese steamed buns are more like Chinese steamed buns, with fillings inside.
Looking at this steamed bun, Oishi Yataro's eyes widened in surprise.
"Steamed buns? Teacher Wu Shi, where did your steamed buns come from?"
Wushi Banpingtai has steamed buns - this is not unusual.
The "prison meal" prepared for Takeshi Hanpingtai has always been very good.
Snacks such as steamed buns and glutinous rice dumplings often appear on his dining table.
However, as a jailer who specializes in guarding Takeshi Hanheita, Oishi Yataro is very sure: the recent meals sent to Takeshi Hanheita did not include steamed buns at all.
Wushi Banpingtai said in a deep voice:
"Don't worry about where my steamed buns come from."
"Oishi-kun, this is my last request - give this steamed bun to Izo."
As soon as he finished speaking, Oishi Yataro felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His pupils shrank into pinhole shapes and his mouth opened uncontrollably into an "O" shape.
The steamed buns of unknown origin... called by name and asked to be given to Okada Izo to eat... No matter how stupid Oishi Yataro is, he will understand what this means.
"Wu, Teacher Wushi, could it be that... this, this, this steamed bun is...?"
Takeshi Hanpingtai nodded solemnly:
"Yes, this steamed bun is mixed with poison. If you eat it, you will vomit blood and die within 10 breaths."
Although he was fully prepared mentally, Yataro Oishi still felt extremely frightened after hearing the other party's personal verification.
Suddenly, his face turned pale, as if it had been bleached.
Oishi Yataro, who has always abided by the law and never killed a dog, saw poisonous steamed buns for the first time and was asked to kill someone for the first time.
He was so frightened that his body became weak, and he fell to the ground, using his hands and feet to move backwards, away from Wushi Hanheita.
"No, no, no, no... I can't... I can't... Teacher Wushi... I can't kill people... I'm just a jailer... How can I kill people...!"
Seeing that Oishi Yataro was about to escape, Takeichi Hanpei was too impatient. He grabbed the railing of the cell door and said quickly:
"Oishi-kun, you are wrong, this is not killing, this is helping Izo to escape!"
"You have also seen it, right? Izo is so miserable! Even if he is alive, he still suffers! He suffers endlessly!"
"As long as he eats this steamed bun, he won't have to suffer anymore!"
"Please, please!"
"This is my lifelong request!"
Takeichi Hanheita, who was usually arrogant, lowered his head for a rare moment and begged others sincerely.
Oishi Yataro looked at Takeichi Hanheita, and then at the steamed bun in his palm, his facial expression was dominated by strong hesitation and panic.
There was an eerie silence inside and outside the cell... The sound of the wind outside seemed extremely harsh.
About 10 seconds later, Oishi Yataro stretched out his hand tremblingly and took the steamed bun...
…
…
Okada Izo's cell——
Compared with Hanheita's luxurious cell in Takeshi, Okada Izo's cell is worse than a pig pen.
Don't even think about tatami mats, tables, etc.
The floor was a bitingly cold, uneven stone slab.
The only thing that could be considered furniture was a commode.
However, even this single piece of furniture is purely for decoration and has no use.
Because Okada Izo had no strength to move his body for a long time, it was convenient to sit on the toilet.
The cell was filled with a pungent and unpleasant smell that made people afraid to take a deep breath.
At this moment, Okada Izo, who had finally survived today's torture, was leaning against the corner, closing his eyes and recuperating.
Suddenly, a shivering voice came from outside the cell:
"Um... Yi, Yi Zang... do you eat steamed buns, steamed buns?"
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PS: Takeichi Hanheita sent poisonous steamed buns to Okada Izou to eat, which was made up by later writers. However, this plot was made up reasonably, because it is very similar to what Takeichi Hanheita would do.
The title of this chapter is a tribute to "Rurouni Kenshin". Part of Shishio's real prototype should be Okada Izo, the abandoned "Executioner".
