The Life of the Characters in Saigō Takamori's Works

1827 65438+/kloc-0 was born in Samofan (now Kagoshima Prefecture) on October 23rd. I have received strict samurai training since I was a child.

182865438+1October 23rd (December 7th, 10th year of Zheng Wen) Saigō Takamori was born in Sharjah Kishan-CHO, Samo Kagoshima. He is the first child of Takashiro Takashi (later renamed Kichibee Takashi). Xiao Yuji, commonly known as Xiao Yuji, changed from Kisinosuke, Zenbee and Kisinosuke in turn. The adult style was named Long Yong, and later changed to Wu Xionglong Sheng. No Zhou Nan. Natural forest protection was established in 12 (184 1) and renamed as Kichinosuke Longyong. At this time, I joined the "Ercai Group", a youth organization in Xiajiazhi Community. He received strict samurai training since childhood, which made him form the habit of martial arts and had strong feudal moral concepts such as loyalty, filial piety and benevolence.

In the first year of Honghua (1844), he served as the "county book assistant". Later, it was the county party secretary *** 10. And another of the three outstanding reformers, Kubo Junyi, has been studying Yangming studies and Zhu's "A Record of Recent Thoughts" at Uemon, and learning Zen from non-participating monks in Fuchang Temple (Shimadzu Bordet Temple, where Kagoshima City's high school is located today). He followed the county magistrate to patrol the countryside, contacted farmers and became familiar with agricultural politics. In the meantime, the county magistrate asked the vassal government to reduce the annual tax in the famine year and angrily forced him to resign, which left an unforgettable impression on him. He was born in the lower samurai class on the verge of bankruptcy and served as a lower official for a long time, which made him have some understanding and sympathy for the lower people and the political decay at the end of the shogunate, and thus embarked on the road of reform. After Shimadzu Ji Bin inherited Samoan lords, the "Chengzhong Group" headed by Saigō Takamori wrote to explain the problem of reducing farmers' burden. His political views were appreciated by Shimadzu Kaibin.

Starting from 1844, he served as a junior official. 1854 became a trusted servant of enlightened vassal Shimazu Kaibin (1809 ~ 1858), lived in Edo (now Tokyo) with him, participated in the governors' governance, and ran for the anti-foreign movement of respecting the king. 1858 The shogunate Xing 'an prison was exiled twice, and 1864 was recalled to San Francisco, holding the real power of Kyoto San Francisco. In the same year, he participated in the suppression of the Changzhou crisis of respecting the king and resisting foreign countries, and successfully resolved hostile factions (the first Changzhou war did not start, so it is more appropriate to call it Changzhou crisis). Later, in anticipation of the death of the shogunate, he took an active part in the shogunate movement. In March of A.D. 1866, in Kyoto, he signed a secret agreement with the leader of Changzhou Fan Shuai School, Muhu Longji. 186865438+10.3, Iwakura Tomomi (1825 ~ 1883), Kubojun and others launched a retro coup, overthrew the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and established a new Meiji government. In the Chen Wu War of the same year, he served as the chief of staff of the Governor's Office and commanded the allied forces to win the war. Because of his meritorious service in the Reform Movement of 1898 and the Warrior War, he had the highest official position and the thickest seal among the princes and ministers. At the beginning of 1870, due to disagreement with Okubo and others on internal affairs, he resigned and returned to Kagoshima to serve as the advisor of Satsuma's religious affairs, and later served as the counselor of the religious affairs university to participate in the religious affairs reform. 187 1 joined the meiji government in Tokyo. 1872 served as marshal and commander-in-chief of the guards. At the age of 28, Xixiang became a trusted attendant of Samoan Lord Shimadzu Ji Bin. He was influenced by Ji Bin's thought of reforming the government of the buffer region to enrich Qiang Bing, and by the diligent royal family, East Lake Fujita and Zuonei Hashimoto, which made him determined to be diligent and reform shogunate politics. 1854 (the first year of Anzheng), I lived in Edo for three years with Shimadzu Kaibin, and ran around for the "integration of defense and civilian technologies" movement initiated by Kaibin and others, which was very active and gradually became a well-known reformist. On the issue of "general succession", we supported a bridge to celebrate happiness with Qi Bin. 1858, due to the sudden illness of Shimazu Kaibin, Shimazu Tazhong became a vassal, and the real power was in the hands of his father Shimazu Jiuguang. Xixiang heard the news and had planned to die for Qi Bin. Persuaded by the monk Moonlight, he gave up this idea and vowed to carry on Qi Bin's legacy and carry out the curtain reform. After that, he still traveled between Kyoto and Edo, engaged in diligent activities, and planned to get rid of the shogunate's chief executive, Naoki Keiichi. In September, Jingyi created "Anzheng Prison" and brutally suppressed the diligent Wang Zhishi. Xixiang and Yuezhao fled the capital to survive. They returned to Kagoshima, but were ordered to leave Samoa. They felt that the tide of the king of Qin had receded. In desperation, when the ship sailed to Jinjiang Bay, they threw themselves into the sea. When he was rescued, the moon was already dead and Xixiang was dying. Shimadzu Jiuguang exiled him to Amami Island.

1862 (in 1992), Saigō Takamori returned to Samoa with the help of the vassal country Kubo Junyi. After the punishment was lifted, he began his activities as a respected faction. Jiu Guangben wanted to use Xixiang's reputation to enter Beijing and continue his plan of "combining military and civilian". I didn't expect Xixiang to oppose it. On the surface, Jiuguang's prestige and identity were not enough. In fact, his new political proposition of "respecting the king and rejecting the foreign countries" contradicts the "combination of military and civilian" of the vassals, and Xixiang is in contact with radical vassals. In a rage, he was exiled to Tokushima for a long time, and two months later, he was transferred to Chongyongliangbu Island Prison, where the condemned prisoners were exiled. However, he was exiled to the island. After two years in prison, Xixiang suffered a lot, but he read a lot of Confucian works and recited poems from time to time. One of his poems wrote: "When you are in favor of North Korea, you will burn a pit in the evening, and your life will be as bleak as it is. If you don't return to Yang and drive it unintentionally, you will be sincere. Luoyang confidants are ghosts, and Nanyu prisoners live alone. Life and death are doubtful, and I am willing to leave my soul to protect the imperial city. " This expressed his thoughts for those who died in Anzheng prison, and also clarified his outlook on life and death and his ambition of loyalty and diligence. 1864, due to the growing influence of the anti-screen faction and the requirements of the governors, Jiuguang ordered the recall of Xixiang and entrusted it with the task of mastering the real power of Samoan Lu Haijun. In the following five or six years, Xixiang thought matured. At first, he was the strategist of Jiuguang, and later he became the leader of the King Worship School. He worked closely with Kubo Junichi to carry out political reform in Samoa and made great contributions to the great reform cause in Japanese history.

1in July, 864, the shogunate suppressed the forbidden door rebellion initiated by Changzhou princes. Xixiang, in Kyoto, was praised for obeying Jiuguang's orders, participating in repression activities and being wounded in the battle. In September, Xixiang met with Sheng Haizhou in Osaka. Katsumoto knows the west very well and has a deep understanding of the inside story of the shogunate. This meeting broadened Xixiang's horizons, recognized the decay of the shogunate and changed his mind. But at this time, Xixiang still had the local consciousness of "the subject of Saskatchewan", so it was very shaken in action. When the shogunate organized troops to crusade against Changzhou vassal in September, Xixiang still participated in and commanded the crusade against Changzhou vassal from the interests of Changzhou vassal. However, in April of the following year, when the shogunate organized the second crusade against Changzhou, Xixiang had carried out its idea of uniting the powerful governors against the shogunate, and resolutely refused to send troops despite the shogunate's repeated orders and urging. In February of 65438+, someone was sent to contact Changzhou Fan, and in January of 1866, a secret agreement was concluded with the leader of Changzhou Fan's anti-curtain faction, Mu Huxiao, in Kyoto. Since then, as the leader of the anti-curtain faction, he has carried out a wide range of anti-curtain activities throughout the country.

1in July, 866, shogunate general Tokugawa Jiamao died and Tokugawa Yoshinobu succeeded him. In 65438+February, Emperor Xiaoming, who had been suppressing the anti-shogunate faction, died mysteriously (most people think that he was poisoned by Iwakura Tomomi and others) and was succeeded by Emperor Meiji, who was only 14 years old. Taking advantage of the situation on the field, the curtain raisers began to prepare for the armed curtain raiser. Under the mediation of Ryoma Sakamoto, Satsuma and Changzhou formed the Satsuma Alliance. Later, Satsuma and Tosa also formed an alliance. These "southwest powerful princes" held the power of the emperor's government and confronted the shogunate. Xixiang and others also formed a "alliance with Britain", trying to buy weapons from Britain and get financial assistance, but they were wary of British aggression attempts. 1On July 27th, 867, Xixiang met with British legation official Sha Tuo in Osaka and said, "We should try our best to change Japan's political system. It is disgraceful to negotiate with foreigners. " Xixiang's answer shows that he has a strong national consciousness.

1In September, 867, Xixiang and Okubo made preparations in advance through officials such as Iwakura and issued a "curtain order" in the name of the Emperor. 65438+ 10 65438+April, Sachang and his two princes got the "curtain order". After the deployment was ready, on February 9, 65438, the defectors from Xixiang and Okubo staged a coup, issued a big order of "Wang Zheng restoring ancient ways", announced the abolition of the presidential system, and demanded that Tokugawa Yoshinobu immediately "resign and accept the land". On the same day, the rebels formed a new government, and Xixiang and Okubo seized the real power of the new government.

The old shogunate, represented by Tokugawa Yoshinobu, did not want to quit the historical stage, so a civil war broke out, which was called Chen Wu War in history. 1868 1 In Niaoya and Fujian, south of Kyoto, there was a large-scale military conflict between the shogunate and the government forces. Xixiang commanded the decisive battle. Thanks to the bravery of the soldiers and the support of the people, the government army defeated the shogunate army three times its own and won. Xixiang was appointed as the head of Lu Haijun by the new government. In February, the Taomu Army marched eastward from Kyoto and surrounded Edo. At this time, Katsumi, who defended Edo City, explained the situation at home and abroad to Qingxi, prompting Qingxi to make up his mind to surrender. In March, Xixiang proposed seven surrender conditions to the shogunate and went to Edo to meet Sheng Haizhou. Finally, the shogunate surrender agreement was signed, which was called "Edo Kaicheng has no blood" in history. After August, Xixiang led Mufan troops to move to Kanto and Northeast China to conquer the remnants of Mufan and win successively. After Xixiang returned to Li triumphantly, he was rewarded for his outstanding military exploits. In September, because of his contribution to the Reform Movement and the civil war in Chen Wu, he was awarded three official positions and two thousand stones, making him the highest rank and thickest title among princes and ministers. After becoming famous, Xixiang thought that his fame and status were higher than Shimadzu, the ruler of Satsuma, which was detrimental to the reputation of "loyal minister". So he resigned on 1870 and returned to kagoshima as a vassal counselor, and later served as a vassal counselor. Xixiang left the central government and returned to the local area because of dissatisfaction with the Meiji government's policy that harmed the interests of the lower samurai. He sympathized with the tragic experience of the lower samurai after the Meiji Restoration. In his letter asking the Samoan government to help a soldier who participated in the civil war, he wrote: "When you are in danger of life and death, treat it as private property. After the matter is settled, you will abandon it and affect morality. " One of his widely circulated poems wrote: "After several hard struggles, my husband was ruined and humiliated." Do family members know if they won't buy beautiful land for their children and grandchildren? "He doesn't like many high-ranking government officials who pursue fame and wealth, lavishly spend money, and accuse them of forgetting" righteousness "for" profit ". The character of Xixiang has always been respected by people in Japan. It is on these internal issues that Xixiang and Okubo and others have conflicts. Xixiang, Okubo and others, despite many contradictions, all realized that in order to build a modern country and get rid of the semi-colonial crisis, it is necessary to eliminate the feudal separatist situation and establish a centralized state power. Starting from 187 1, they jointly carried out the reform of abandoned counties with this goal.

1in July, 872, Xixiang was appointed as Marshal and Commander-in-Chief of the Guards. In July of the following year, the government promulgated five documents, including the Regulations on Land Tax Reform, to reform feudal land ownership and establish land tax reform of modern land system. Before and after, the government also carried out a number of bourgeois reforms in politics, economy and military affairs. Xixiang presided over and participated in these reforms. Although he made no special achievements in the reform, it should be said that he commanded the army and backed it by force, which ensured the smooth progress of the reform. Xixiang, Okubo and Muhu are called "Three Masters" because of their roles and contributions in the reform activities.

Before and after, he participated in bourgeois reforms such as abolishing feudal counties and local tax reforms. 1873, 10, he resigned and returned to kagoshima to set up a military and political school called a private school because of the opposition of Kubojun and others on the issue of sending envoys to North Korea. 18771~ From September, it was pushed as the leader by the old Samoan clan and launched an armed rebellion against the government, which was called the Southwest War in history. On September 24th, he was defeated and died in Kagoshima. Reform is a process of redistributing resources and power. In this process, some owners of old rights will inevitably lose their original resources and power. Reform, in a fashionable phrase, is also a process of flattening management, and part of the middle class will inevitably be eliminated. This is a process of squeezing from the upper and lower classes to the middle class, and the power and resources that are finally deprived in the middle will be redistributed to the highest and lowest people, thus achieving a new balance between management and production. For example, the essence of "resisting foreign countries" is to deprive western colonists of their resources and privileges for their own use. However, compared with Japan at that time, the western colonialists were very powerful. Even a powerful vassal like Satsuma County is deeply aware that it is impossible to compete with it behind enemy lines. If they insist on depriving them of their resources in Japan, they are likely to be completely overthrown by these powerful guys and even lose their sovereignty (their government's right to allocate its own resources). Therefore, it is better to recognize their existence in Japan or even form an alliance with them in exchange for their support and necessary military technical assistance, so as to obtain higher development resources (so-called "developing productive forces") and the ability to squeeze other classes (with their support); The essence of "ending the curtain" is to point the finger at the class of shogunate generals under the emperor and above the princes, deprive them of their privileges and territories, and deprive them of their resources and distribution power, which is called "liberating productive forces"; After the success of the "counter-curtain", "abandoning the vassal and setting up a county" is tantamount to opening an operation on the vassal and depriving them of resources and power. However, further, with the further reform of the military system, ordinary civilians also have the rights and obligations to be soldiers, and more people have the honor of being loyal to the country and the opportunity of promotion. So this knife went to the lower soldiers. If we want to say betrayal, the princes and junior samurai who made great contributions at the end of the curtain were betrayed by the new government, and the people at the highest level and most Japanese civilians finally benefited. If Japan really wants to realize military modernization, it must betray the lower samurai class. Xixiang is in favor of the new military system. He knows that in public, the new system can make Japan stronger. But personally, I don't know. Warlords made great efforts in the process of ending the curtain. Deprived of resources and power, they can become new chaebol and landlords. Even if they live a luxurious and decadent life, at least they have a livelihood. As individuals, the lower samurai have a large number of people and few resources. When they are deprived of military privileges, they often have no food and clothing. Xixiang never hesitated when he hacked his Tatsu Yamashiro at the shogunate and the vassal, but hesitated when he hacked at the lower samurai, a group that had always supported and defended himself. Xixiang can't forget these comrades who stood side by side with him, so in the early days, he compiled the Guards with the following warriors as the main body, just to give these comrades a place to live side by side, but the establishment of the Guards was also limited. Although Xixiang himself is very generous, whenever Samoan warriors come to him, if they can't solve their personal problems, he can take them from the till at the door. But this, after all, can't solve the fundamental problem, and it's easy to make taboos, create opportunities for political enemies, and create rumors like "Xixiang wants to buy people's hearts and then rebel".

So Xixiang came up with a way to expand abroad, "the dike is not enough to make up for it", so that the lower samurai can invade other countries and get new privileges and resources from the new territory and the people of other countries. For a small country like Japan itself, it was indeed a way out at that time. But it's easier said than done. At that time, the world powers were all around, and the land had long been seized. Our Qing dynasty is still in the stage of "tongzhi zhongxing", and we can't see whether it is a dragon or a worm. What shall we do? Then there are only two places to fight, Taiwan Province Province and North Korea, which are far from the central government of the Qing Dynasty, and the powers have not yet got their hands on them, which may not cause a strong rebound in the Qing Dynasty. In fact, at that time, Japan's ruling and opposition parties all had the idea of recruiting South Korea to Taiwan. Even Okubo and Shan County, who were the strongest opponents of Xixiang, were in favor of expanding the army, which was nothing more than the difference between "urgent levy" and "delayed levy". Xixiang stood on the opposite side of most courtiers and strongly demanded "urgent levy" He is eager to use the soldiers who have been fighting for generations-the lower class soldiers-to carry out these foreign invasions when the fighting capacity of the government forces dominated by civilians is not strong, and also to quickly restore their lost privileges and interests in the new colony. Xixiang advocated that Taiwan Province Province and North Korea should "take these places that belong to me as the south gate of the Emperor's country forever". Specifically, he asked himself to be an envoy to South Korea and angered North Korea by diplomatic means (Xixiang was "unwilling to be humanitarian to others" and still wanted to use the strategy of encouraging the shogunate to strike first). If North Korea is caught and killed, Japan can send troops to conquer it. Xixiang at this time. Seeking the country is not disloyal, but if it is seen by Koreans, he will also be included in the ranks of traitors. A person's historical position was initially defined only by the people he maintained and maintained. Okubo, who opposed Xixiang, and others thought that we should focus on internal governance, first establish a modern state system and logistics system, and then launch foreign conquest, and rashly use samurai to conquer, probably because of insufficient logistics and materials, but also because of the strong rebound of the Qing Dynasty and the interference of western powers. Therefore, he strongly opposed the "urgent levy", and his friends who ended in the past have now become political sworn enemies. Okubo and others used various political means to lobby everywhere. Yamagata Aritomo, who stood on Okubo's side, also ran in many ways behind the scenes. Because he wants to safeguard the interests of the new government forces as well as his own interests in the political and military circles. In addition, many people were born in Changzhou samurai and have become senior government officials. They are also prepared to make full use of this contradiction between Xixiang and Okubo, and take Xixiang down to profit from it, so as to raise the position of Changzhou School in the government.

Xixiang, on the other hand, seems to really only appear as a hero and idol. He only does all political work in public, hoping to impress ministers and senators with his loyalty and fame, and hope that they will not betray the lower-level soldiers who have fought together. It seems that he really wants to be the Sima Wengong who thinks that "outsiders can do nothing". However, political struggle is a special war, which requires special technical means and special strategic wisdom. In this war involving public and private interests and ideas, it is impossible to win simply by relying on the word "aboveboard". During the discussion, Xixiang School finally lost. He was sent to Korea, and his desire to be conquered by the warriors was completely shattered. The angry Xixiang immediately submitted his resignation to the emperor. The next day, the emperor approved Xixiang to resign as commander-in-chief of the Senate and the Guards, and retained the rank of general of the army. The traditional warriors represented by Xixiang lost their exclusive honor forever. If the life of a warrior is like a cherry blossom, then Xixiang must clearly see that the honor they cherish more than the cherry blossom has fallen gently at this time. The problem of gentry has become more and more serious, and unjust gentry from all over Japan have rebelled. The larger one was the Saga Rebellion in Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, which was launched by Kaituo Xinping in the seventh year of Meiji (1874). After the incident was pacified, in order to appease the gentry, especially the Samoan gentry with the strongest sense of resistance, the Japanese government in the same year (the 13th year of Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty) launched an invasion of Taiwan Province Province on the pretext that Ryukyu refugees were killed by the aborigines in Taiwan Province Province (known as Peony Society Incident in China). The Japanese government specially promoted Saigō Takamori's younger brother Saigou Jyuudou as Lieutenant General, and appointed him as the director of the Bureau of Land and Resources of Taiwan Province Province, leading more than 3,000 troops to attack the aboriginal tribes in the south of Taiwan Province Province.

However, the problem of gentry has not been solved. In the tenth year of Meiji (1877), Samoan barbarians attacked the government powder magazine in Kagoshima, which started the Southwest War. At that time, Saigō Takamori was not in Kagoshima. After learning the news, he sighed deeply, but returned to Kagoshima to direct cremation, went north in the name of "questioning the government" and fought fiercely with government forces in kumamoto castle. Finally, the government forces defeated Samoyed troops, and Saigō Takamori retreated back to Kagoshima. In the case of injury, his subordinates mistakenly cut off his head (according to media reports: Saigō Takamori didn't cut off his abdomen), ending the last Japanese civil war.