In December, the Imperial envoy Tomomi IWAKURA and vice envoy Toshimichi OKUBO were sent to Kagoshima by the government, which sensed a crisis and urged Saigo to serve them, and they negotiated with Saigo to that end, but ran into difficulties, and finally persuaded Judo SAIGO, who had come home after inspection of Western countries, to come to Kyoto due to the political turmoil.
12月、危機感を抱いた政府から勅使岩倉具視・副使大久保利通が西郷の出仕を促すために鹿児島へ派遣され、西郷と交渉したが難航し、欧州視察から帰国した西郷従道の説得でようやく政治改革のために上京することを承諾した。