Flower Spelling - Chapter 20.5
Chapter 20.5 – After the Long Night
“Well, the imperial court is all talk, aren’t they?”
Exasperatedly scratching his stubble chin, Shido snorted dismissively. White breath appeared and disappeared in the bleak room.
A day after the commotion in Kanagawa, the eleven were brought back to the clan’s residence, where they were placed together in a room and sentenced to house arrest.
Yamato, who was lying on the side in a cramped position, replied, “Well, yeah.”
“Even Master Anekoji, renowned for her fierce opposition to the expulsion of barbarians, is reluctant to expel them when the situation arises.”
“So why didn’t we just disregard the order and run off? And yet here are we, all in awe.”
“No, Monta. The power of the court is not to be underestimated. I have spent a great deal of time in Kyo, so I know quite clearly that the authority of the imperial court is essential to the running of the shogunate. And to run the court, you need the power of the nobles. To defy them now would be ill-advised.”
“Hmm… As usual, you are being very roundabout, Kusaka.” Takasugi, who was writing something down at his desk, interjected pompously.
“If you rely on external forces, you’ll only repeat the mistakes of yesterday.”
“Not another word about it.” Kusaka hung his head in dismay.
To tell the truth, it was a Tosa clan official named Takechi Hanpeita responsible for the revelation of the plan. Known for his support of the expulsion of barbarians, Takechi was a close friend of Kusaka, who confided in him about the planned assault. However, Takechi reported the plan to the former Lord of the Tosa clan, Yamauchi Yodo.
Even after his retirement, Yamauchi Yodo remained in a position of immense power. He immediately informed the shogunate and the Choshu clan of the plot, and upon learning of it, Lord Anekoji sent a courier to Shimotaya.
“Not just the Tosa clan. Even in Choshu, do they truly seek to expel the barbarians? The government has been unwilling to do so for some time, and we, the Somo joi, have been trying to stand up to them.”
“Speaking of Somo joi,” Shirai swayed his large body and smiled happily, as though he had stumbled upon a fascinating discovery. “When Sogetsu stormed into Shimotaya, I was indeed astonished. She must have heard about us at the clan residence, but she acted quite boldly… Even so, how did she manage to get from the residence to there in such a short time?”
“??!!”
Takasugi made an effort to remain calm as he almost let his brush slip. If people were to find out that Sogetsu had been in Yokohama, it would be difficult to explain.
“Who is this ‘Sogetsu’?” Terashima Chuzaburo, seated tranquility in the corner, was the one who asked the question.
“Oh, I’ve been wondering about that, too.” From the opposite direction, Shinagawa Yajiro lifted his hand like a student.
“I’ve seen him a few times at the Yubikan, but I’ve never really spoken to him. Are you close to him, Mr. Shirai?”
“It’s no wonder you two don’t know each other, for you two are new to Edo. Though I only send my greetings upon encounter. I suppose Takasugi and Kusaka are more familiar with Sogetsu than I am.”
Under Shirai’s gaze, Kusaka took over.
Katsura explained to them that Sogetsu was the daughter of an acquaintance of Katsura’s, and that for some reason she had been in the clan’s care for the past year.
“She is a keen learner and is willing to assist with even the most trivial of things at Yubikan… Hmm??What’s the matter, you two? Looking with such strange expressions.”
“H-Hold on a moment, Mr. Kusaka. Young lady… A woman!?”
“Why is a girl dressed like that, and riding on a horse, Kusaka!?”
“Like I said, there is a reason. Plus, she’s got as much guts as a man.”
When Kusaka said this with a grimace, those around him muttered something.
“Speaking of which, Sogetsu is a girl, huh.”
“Even I don’t feel anything strange about it. I forgot about it because people wearing hakama go in and out everyday.”
If the person herself had heard about it, her face would have flushed red and she would have been enraged. Takasugi restrained himself from bursting into tears and wrote a quick note before he could mention any more of Sogetsu’s background.
“Yes, it’s done!”
“Oh!”
In front of Takasugi’s paper, with its vivid ink marks, all gathered in unison.
“Now that the barbarians have been slaughtered by us, and their heads have been brought forth, we ask you to make a sudden decision to expel the barbarians…”
This was the sign of a man who was prepared to shield his country by following the principle of “expulsion of the barbarians”, above all with wisdom and below all with will.
“We will never forget this aspiration, no matter what hardships we may face, and we will never divulge any secrets, even if we are captured. We must help each other to expel the barbarians!”
Following Takasugi’s high-pitched declaration, the blood seals were stamped one after another.
??This was the moment of the formation of the expulsion of the barbarians, the “Mitategumi.”
T/N:
Somo joi – The word here used is ??, which mean private citizen who opposed the Tokugawa shogunate during the Bakumatsu period. While the next bolded text, Somojoi, it reminded him of Sogetsu as ?? has the kanji of her name too, ??
She, Him – No pronoun was used in the Japanese text so her gender was not revealed