"Ho...! Ho...! Ho...! Ho...!"

The hoarse and weak moan makes those who hear it shudder.

Being forced to kneel on the ground is already uncomfortable, and heavy stones are placed on the legs... Because it brings great pain to the victim, "stone hug" has always been one of the most popular punishments among executioners.

.

Okada Izo fell forward softly, and the two boulders pressing on his legs became his support.

I saw him using a stone as a pillow and breathing heavily.

However, before he could take a breath, the executioner on the side grabbed his hair and lifted him up.

"Hey! Who told you to rest!"

Under the brutal pull of the executioner, Okada Izo's face was exposed to the sun.

The face that had not been washed for an unknown amount of time was covered with thick dirt and stains of blood. With just a gentle rub, a ball of mud as big as a finger could be formed.

His hair was knotted, his eyes were bloodshot, his expression was numb, and his eyes were dull... At first glance, he looked like he was half dead.

Under the instructions of Goto Shojiro, Okada Izo became a "key focus".

Stone hugging, Hai Lao, whipping...all kinds of tortures came to him in turn.

After more than a year of repeated torture, the "people who were killed and hidden" who once shocked Kyoto have become the miserable appearance they are now, inhuman and ghostless.

Fortunately, Okada Izo is a martial arts practitioner, with a strong body and strong bones, and his ability to withstand blows and recover is top-notch.

Otherwise, an ordinary person would never be able to withstand such torture.

At this time, another executioner came forward and sang Red Face:

"Okada Izo, you can rest if you want."

"As long as you expose all the dirty things your master Takeichi Hanheita has done, you won't have to suffer anymore."

"Not only that, not long ago, Mr. Goto personally agreed that as long as you are willing to identify Takeichi Hanheita, you will be guilty and meritorious."

"Afterwards, he will promote you to the title of 'Baizha Township Scholar'."

"For 'Ashigaru', this is already a great opportunity, you must seize it."

When the word "Ashigaru" was mentioned, the executioner emphasized his tone.

Okada Izo's status is very humble.

He was born in Ashigaru and was the lowest among the villagers.

In Tosa, Ashigaru are treated no differently than dogs and cats on the roadside.

When he was a boy, Okada Izo was bullied for being inferior to others. His heart was filled with a deep desire to "get ahead", so he practiced swordsmanship assiduously.

With his status, it was difficult for him to enter a first-class dojo to study, so he could only hide outside the dojo and learn secretly.

It wasn't until he met Takeichi Hanheita that his miserable life like a rag finally turned around.

Wu Shi Hanping Taixiang was impressed by his talent, and not only did he not dislike his background, but he also accepted him as his apprentice, so that he finally got the opportunity to officially learn from his master.

Later, Takeichi Hanheita sponsored him to study abroad in Edo, where he became a disciple of the "Momoi of the Sea" Haruzo Momoi, studied Kashin Akechi-ryu, and finally succeeded in obtaining a license to do so.

Then, Takeichi Hanheita took him to travel and practice in the defense minister and Kyushu areas, and on the way he learned the Jichi-ryu swordsmanship in Bungooka Domain.

This is the origin of Okada Izo's superb swordsmanship.

At the same time, this is also why Okada Izo admires Takeichi Hanheita so much - the kindness of knowing and meeting him is unforgettable!

Facing the "red and white duet" of the executioners, Okada Izo endured the severe pain, pulled the corner of his mouth, and showed a sarcastic smile:

"Stop... talking nonsense..."

"The noise makes my... ears hurt..."

"If you have any tricks... just use them..."

"If I...cry out in pain...I will be...a bastard..."

"I will never...betray...Teacher Wu Shi..."

"You...open your eyes...take a good look..."

"History will eventually prove...Teacher Wushi...is the right one!"

At the end of his words, Okada Izo gathered his strength and roared loudly, startling the executioners.

After they calmed down, the executioners scolded angrily:

“Even now, I still don’t know how to repent!”

"We're still talking about 'respecting the king and repelling the barbarians' here! Let me tell you, not long ago, Changshu mobilized 10,000 troops to attack Kyoto eastward, but was defeated by the benevolent king. Stop thinking about 'respecting the king and repelling the barbarians'!"

"It's all because of you short-sighted guys who brutally killed Yoshida-sama! If Yoshida-sama is still alive, under his wise leadership, our national power in Tosa will definitely increase greatly!"

"Since you are still so energetic, let me add another stone to you!"

"Come on, bring another stone!"

After a while, another stone was brought over and placed on Okada Izo's thigh.

Three boulders stacked on top of each other are taller than half of Okada Izo's body.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh-!"

The terrifying screams spread again.

…

…

At this moment, when Okada Izo was being tortured, Goto Shojiro stood on a pavilion not far away with his hands behind his back, looking down expressionlessly, looking coldly at the tortured Okada.

To hide.

A certain attendant standing behind Goto Shojiro sighed softly:

"Mr. Goto, I am not praising the thief, but... this Okada Izo really had a hard time. He was tortured for more than a year, but he still preferred to die."

After hearing this, Goto Shojiro snorted coldly:

"Would you rather die than surrender? In my opinion, this guy is stubborn!"

"We have come to this point, but we still can't realize the mistake of Takeshi Hanheita."

"If you can't use your integrity on the right path, you will just help the evildoer!"

Compared with the past, Tosa today has undergone earth-shaking changes.

The current lord of the Tosa Domain is Toyonori Yamauchi (the 16th lord of the domain).

But in reality, the power of the feudal government has always been firmly in the hands of the former feudal lord Yamauchido (the 15th generation feudal lord).

Although Yamauchi Do is not too old (he was 37 years old at the time), he is indeed a politician with sophisticated methods and a keen sense of smell.

When the fight between the Zumu faction and the Zunbang faction was in full swing, he himself never stood up and clearly stated his political stance.

After Seito and others launched the "August 18th Coup" and expelled the Choshu forces from Kyoto, and the Sabaku faction gained an overwhelming advantage, he quickly took action, declaring the Tosa Kinou Party an evil association that had brought disaster to the country and the people, banned it, and went on a rampage

Search for relevant members.

In this way, we show our loyalty to the shogunate with practical actions: We, the Tosa Domain, will always stand with the Tokugawa family!

Although this behavior of jumping at the speed of light makes people laugh, it does work.

Tosa Domain is one of the most powerful feudal states in the Western Kingdom (territory of 240,000 koku).

Its speed of light rebound can serve as a good example and indirectly help increase the authority of the shogunate - based on this alone, the shogunate cannot but treat the Tosa Domain with courtesy.

The Tosa Kinnobu Party, which once controlled the feudal government, fell overnight.

After banning the Tosa Kinnoi Party, Yamauchi Hall vigorously promoted Goto Shojiro and entrusted him with the important position of Grand Superintendent of the Tosa Domain (the highest governor of the domain, equivalent to the Prime Minister of the country).

In addition, he also ordered Goto Shojiro to have full jurisdiction over the "murder case of Yoshida Toyo".

You know, Yoshida Toyo is a close confidant handpicked by Yamauchi Hall.

After the murder of Toyo Yoshida, the Yamauchi Church did not show any signs of action and allowed the Tosa Kinnobu Party, which was heavily suspected, to become powerful.

Only when the time is right can it be uprooted... This kind of mind alone is beyond the reach of human beings.

In fact, anyone with a bit of political sensitivity can see that Yamauchido deliberately allowed the Tosa Kinnoi Party to mess around.

The purpose was to leave enough space for the Tosa Domain to "jump left and right".

Once the Zunbang faction wins, the Tosa Qinwang Party will be an excellent association that gathers all the talents.

Once the Samu faction wins, it will be like this miserable situation of "watching it feasting on guests and watching its building collapse".

Goto Shojiro—26 years old at the time, was a well-known hero of Tosa Domain.

"When talking about the young talents of the Tosa Domain, we have to talk about Goto Shojiro" - his talent and popularity reached this level.

His father died when he was young, and he was raised by his uncle and uncle Yoshida Toyo. He studied both civil and martial arts since he was a child. He studied at the Shaolin School founded by Yoshida Toyo, and was deeply influenced by his uncle Toyo, an enlightened politician who knew both China and the West.

At the same time, he studied under Oishi Zhongshang, a vassal scholar of Liuhe Domain, and practiced Oishi Shenying Ryu. In terms of swordsmanship, he was also a good hand.

Yoshida Toyo is proficient in Chinese studies and foreign studies, and his understanding of Western civilization is much deeper than that of the closed-minded and conservative Zongxunists.

In his view, rejecting globalization and rejecting the West are completely corrupt and empty talk.

Therefore, during his political participation in the Tosa Domain, he vigorously promoted a series of reforms, advocating the elimination of family status, colonization and industrial development, military reform, national construction and trade, and enriching the country and strengthening the army.

Many people are thinking: If Yoshida Toyo had not died, why would our Tosa Domain have to take such a long detour like today?

Whenever they think of this, they hate the short-sighted thief who killed Toyo Yoshida even more.

After Goto Shojiro came to power, he continued Yoshida Toyo's governance philosophy, advocated innovation, and established the "Kaiseikan" agency to promote reform.

Under the governance of Goto Shojiro, the Tosa Domain has taken on a new look, its national power is increasing day by day, and it is gradually transforming into an enlightened country that "blends Japan and the West" like Satsuma.

While concentrating on governing the country, Goto Shojiro did not forget to find the real culprit who killed his uncle Toyo.
To be continued...