On the other side, Edo Castle, inside the main hall.
When the news of Maomao's death came, Xixi became a general, and in front of him was Lord Matsudaira, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground without any respect.
Looking at Songping Gong who was ignoring Xixi and lighting up a cigarette, the guards beside Xixi looked stern.
"Sit down! Are you deaf when I tell you to sit down?! You are in front of the new general!"
"Hmm~" Mr. Matsudaira puffed out a puff of cigarette and raised his face with a very disdainful attitude, "I'm sorry, there is only one man I work for. As long as it is my decision, the brand of cigarettes and the owner will not change, Xixi male…"
"You rude madman!" The guard was about to draw his sword, but was stopped by Xixi who raised his hand.
Xixi opened her mouth, the corners of her mouth raised slightly filled with some kind of teasing.
"Matsuhira, you are really a loyal minister. I don't think you are a loser who failed to protect my master's life."
Songpinggong showed no fear, and there was a certain coldness hidden in his small eyes, saying: "Compared with you, who murdered the former general under the eyes of the emperor and then eagerly ascended to the position of general, I am still far behind. . Although the person who did it has already committed suicide by taking poison, it is probably because his relatives were taken hostage, right? If you check the people around him, you can find the mastermind behind it. "
Xixi had a meaningful look on her face: "If I were the mastermind behind this, the evidence would have long been gone."
"Don't be anxious, Mr. Xixi, no one has started to take action yet..." As he spoke, Mr. Songping groped with his left hand behind his back quietly, "If I want revenge, I will definitely do it myself."
But at this moment, the sound of the sword being unsheathed and the voice of Sasaki Isaburo sounded simultaneously behind Mr. Matsudaira.
"Mr. Matsudaira, it's a pity that you no longer have the right to punish others. Put away your murderous intention, cigarettes and..." As he said that, Sasaki looked at the poison needle tied in Mr. Matsudaira's left hand, "That..."
Knowing that he had no chance to make a move, Lord Matsudaira remained calm as he delivered the poisonous needle behind his back and put out the cigarette butt in the ashtray Sasaki handed him. Then he said, "Sasaki, I thought you and Takasugi were abandoned together." Oh, I didn’t expect you to be so persistent in begging for mercy from Duke Xixi.”
"Takasugi?" While passing the ashtray in his hand to the waiter on the side, Sasaki's paralyzed face showed some doubts, "What are you talking about? I have only served Mr. Xixi from the beginning. , how could it be abandoned."
Xixi still looked interested: "That's right, Matsudaira, who do you think the man in front of you is? He is the Commissioner of the Police Department, Sasaki Isaburo."
"Unfortunately, former commander, your era has ended."
…
On the other side, inside the Shinsengumi Group's warehouse.
Gintoki, who was sitting cross-legged under the eaves, was holding a wine glass and pouring wine from Kondo.
Looking at the wine in the glass, Gintoki couldn't help but complain: "How can any normal person ask an injured person to have a drink?"
Kondo, who also filled a glass for himself, laughed dumbly and said: "If you mind this kind of thing, wouldn't you, a guy who was born with a brain defect, not be able to drink for the rest of his life?"
"Go away to the primeval forest and drink those rotten juices, you bastard orangutan."
Ignoring Gintoki's complaints, Kondo quietly looked at the wine glass in his hand and continued with some relief: "Besides, some pain can only be healed by strong alcohol."
Gintoki didn't reply, but poured the wine down his throat in a nonchalant manner.
"Speaking of it, war is really a cruel thing," Kondo continued, thinking to himself with some emotion, "No matter you win or lose, you will always lose a lot. Even so, the winner will still take all the spoils he won as comfort. . But the losers can only count what they have lost. The comrades they failed to protect, the enemies they killed, and the sins bred by the war will only make people feel heavier. What is this war we have experienced? What is this war we have experienced? The heavy price paid, the dirty hands, whether there is any meaning in the end, etc. Is this what you thought about after going through so many wars? "
After placing the wine glass on the tray, Ginzai glared with dead eyes and replied in a normal tone: "What's the point? No matter you lose or win, no matter what you protect or lose, there is no war." What's the point? No matter how you modify it, in the end there will only be corpses everywhere and deep sin.
There is simply nothing worth protecting at these costs. If anything, it is the foundation of a belief in an era free of such senseless wars. But now he is no longer fighting an enemy, but fighting himself.
And as long as someone is willing to pass on his beliefs, he is not dead yet... He uses this excuse to forcefully convince himself.
Sorry, I can't comfort you at this time, because everything in the world is precious only after it is lost. If war is really meaningful, it probably makes people fully understand this.
I will also regret it. Standing over the corpses of enemies and comrades, I sometimes think that it would have been better if this war had not started, but... I already know that I can't stop it, and I can't stop it just by myself. . "
"Really?" Kondo drank the wine in the glass and then slowly put it down, "But didn't the war you once had stop? Why?"
"Ah... it stopped." Thinking of the man who said thank you to him before dying, Gintoki raised his head and looked at the sky with his lonely dead fish eyes, "With... a weight that we simply cannot bear. The price stops, just like this time.”
After shaking his head silently, Kondo picked up the wine Gu beside him. At the same time, Gintoki also picked up the wine Gu beside him.
After filling their respective glasses with wine, the two of them aimed their wine poison at the third empty wine glass that had been there from the beginning.
After picking up the wine glass prepared for someone, Kondo slowly stood up and walked to the yard.
Looking at the sky that was a bit bright from the dark clouds, Kondo scattered the wine in the air.
"Then we won't need funerals and parting words."
After saying that, Kondo returned to sit down, reached for his own wine glass and touched it lightly with Gintoki, who also picked up the wine glass. "Just drink this glass of wine."
Immediately afterwards, the two of them raised their heads and drank the wine in the glass at the same time.
After putting down the empty wine glass, Kondo slowly stood up and said at the same time: "Wanshiwu, fortunately you and I have the same idea. Even if we have to step on other people's corpses, there are still things that we will protect to the death. Wanshiwu..."
Kondo walked slowly in a certain direction, "Help me tell the Fourteeners and others not to do stupid things. Tell them that Edo still needs them. In the end, let me be the same as the general to end the war. The final price."
At this time, Gincai finally realized that Kondo was already filled with members of the Kaikai team.
"Finally, I'm really happy that the three of us can have a drink." As he said that, Kondo turned back to look at Gintoki, with a rare softness in his eyes, "I really should have drank earlier."
After saying that, Kondo was handcuffed by Nobume, the deputy leader of the meeting team. Immediately afterwards, he was escorted away slowly by a group of team members.
It wasn't until Kondo was escorted a long way that Gin finally realized what he was doing. He picked up his crutches and limped along.
"Wait a minute," when Kondo was about to be escorted outside the main gate of the Shinsengumi, Gintoki, who was following, called out to everyone, "What's going on? Orangutan, you..."
"It's a pity," Nobuome, who came behind Gintoki at some point, said, "I thought I was going to use a knife or a gun. I didn't expect that no one else was here. How about you spending time with me instead?" Two moves?”
Gintoki turned back and glanced at Nobume coldly and said: "It depends on the situation, maybe I will be happy to help you dye your uniform red. What on earth do you want to do?"
"What a surprise," Nobunaga retracted the knife she was about to pull out. "You, who usually argue endlessly with them, would actually show such an expression. It's just because you shared the crime of killing the general with them, so you should treat them like they are. Is he your companion? That person would probably be very happy in that world. You have lost the most important thing, and you actually want to carry these things again. "
"You talk surprisingly much today," Gintoki raised the corners of his mouth, and his squinting eyes in the shadows under his forehead were full of cold light, "What do you know about me?"
"I don't know anything, but if you don't want to lose everything again, you should do other things now, right? That man (Kondo) probably also knows that under the regime of King Kiki, the Shinsengumi cannot survive forever. If he was taken away in front of all the soldiers, they would never do anything. That's why he sent them to serve as guards at the state funeral. However, he called you here alone. You should know what's going on. meaning."
Gintoki fell silent as he listened to Nobume's words, and didn't say another word until Kondo was taken outside the door to the police car escorting the prisoner.
Nobunaga started to walk slowly towards the gate. Suddenly, as if she thought of something, she stopped and whispered in Gintoki's ear: "I almost forgot, you have to keep an eye on what's going on over there." , although I didn't find anything, but if it were you... maybe you could find something. Or maybe, you had already discovered something but didn't say anything. After all... aren't you friends? "
After that, Xinnu started again.
At the same time, in Edo Castle, Xixi above the main hall also used the attitude of a winner to deliver the final verdict to Lord Matsudaira in front of him.
"Just leave the search to Sasaki. Matsudaira, what you should do is take responsibility. Shigemo was assassinated precisely because you failed to stop their rampage. Therefore, I sentence Matsudaira Katakurihu and others Isao Kondo, the chief of the Shinsengumi group...beheaded in public. The Shinsengumi group will be disbanded as of today."
…
I wish everyone a happy New Year and may all your wishes come true!
(End of chapter)