Hearing the names of these two people, the current Japanese Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito couldn't help but lowered his head silently, and the corners of his eyes were moist, recalling the hardships of the past step by step!
However, at this moment, a staff officer came over in a hurry. Looking at his livid face, he really looked a bit angry.
This staff officer walked up to Ito Hirobumi, stood at attention, touched his heels, then bent down and bowed:
"Sir, this is a telegram about Nagasaki."
After Ito Hirobumi took the telegram, he glanced at it casually, then frowned, and then continued to read it with an understatement.
As Prime Minister, the risky national policy he formulated at this time also achieved overall success, so his every move was watched by countless people.
At this time, seeing Mr. Ito remain calm, everyone relaxed and continued the carnival. However, they did not realize that Ito Hirobumi's fingers were tapping the handle next to him. This was only done when he encountered a problem.
generated habits.
Because the words "Nagasaki Fire" were clearly written on the message.
After almost ten minutes, Ito Hirobumi stood up, then smiled and nodded to the people around him, and slowly walked to the side. He was a dignified prime minister, and he had a lot of things to do. If he left at this time, no one would compare him with the previous one.
The telegram was contacted.
The door of the conference room was closed, blocking out the noise and carnival inside. Immediately afterwards, Ito Hirobumi's pace quickly quickened, and his brows also furrowed! An attendant brought a coat over and wanted to put it on him.
, was also directly blocked by Hirobumi Ito with a wave of his hand.
He got on the carriage and rushed to a high-rise building in about ten minutes, and then entered the hidden office on the sixth floor.
Immediately afterwards, Ito Hirobumi said urgently to a staff officer next to him:
"Have any specific losses been found in Nagasaki?"
The staff officer immediately lowered his head and said:
"Your Excellency! There was a latest call five minutes ago, which mentioned some details of the Nagasaki fire."
Ito Hirobumi immediately stretched out his hand and looked at it at a glance, and then his expression was a little contradictory, as if he was a little relieved, but also a little angry and helpless.
After just five seconds, Ito Hirobumi immediately ordered:
"Immediately contact the Kurosawa Division approaching Nagasaki and ask them to stop their advance and not come within forty miles of Nagasaki! At the same time, let the combined fleet know that if they still want to retain a complete Nagasaki military port, then
Keep your distance from Nagasaki!"
After hearing what Ito Hirobumi said, the staff officer immediately responded.
But after a while, I heard noisy sounds coming from outside. Then, a drunken Japanese soldier walked in wearing a military uniform. He looked at Ito Hirobumi and said loudly:
"Your Excellency! Was it you who just ordered the Kurosawa Division to stop advancing?"
Before Ito Hirobumi could speak, the staff officer next to him had opened his eyes and said angrily:
"Bold! General Shanxian, you are talking to the Prime Minister!"
Shanxian, who rushed in, roared:
"Go away, you incompetent guy. When I was carrying a rifle and shooting the enemy, you were still sewing the Sunny Day doll with needle and thread!"
Then he continued to breathe alcohol and said:
"Your Excellency, those Chinese people are weak guys. They are just blackmailing. They know very well the consequences of lighting Nagasaki ablaze. After they are all arrested, they will be hanged alive by our Empire of Japan!"
"Even if we have achieved a strategic victory and let the Qing Dynasty take the initiative to sue for peace, we are still troubled by internal and external troubles. Therefore, we must remain tough, as tough as the rocks at Cape Zongya! This is the spirit of the empire. If we lose this spirit, the empire will be destroyed.
There is no spine at all!”
At this point, Shanxian was already shouting hoarse! But how could he look like he was drunk at all?
Facing such a general who looked like a crazy beast, Ito Hirobumi sat there quietly, like a statue with sadness and patience.
However, even if Ito Hirobumi, who was sitting quietly without saying a word, slowly calmed down the unruly and arrogant Japanese general in front of him, it was then that Ito Hirobumi said a little tiredly:
"Yamagoshi-san, you are a soldier, and you only need to fight bravely. However, since I have reached this position, what I see and grasp is the overall situation, and I must consider the whole of Japan."
"The old Zhongtang from the Qing Dynasty once sighed and said that he was actually just a paper framer. The huge house was leaking from all directions, and all he did every day was just tearing it apart and patching it up, just to survive. I deeply feel the same way."
"The citizens of the empire have worked hard to serve the army and have gritted their teeth to support the army. They are on the verge of collapse. The wartime national bonds sold to prepare for military expenditures have already reached their third installment. Our industry is still so weak. At this time, it is still
Handicrafts are the main industry, and arms, ships, and even small bullets all rely on imports. Our citizens have even begun to suffer from severe malnutrition! Even humble prostitutes took out the last copper from their pockets."
Ito Hirobumi's words seemed to have magic power. He spoke softly and eloquently, with a touch of fatigue, but made Yamagata stand up suddenly, bowed deeply and said:
"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I have taken the liberty of doing so."
Ito sighed softly and said:
"We are all working hard to bring Japan to the pinnacle of Asia. What is there to be presumptuous about?"
"But General Yamagata, Nagasaki has been Japan's external gateway since the days of Emperor Yosei. Now, about one-seventh of our economy depends on Nagasaki for supply!"
"Those who are entrenched at this time are those Japanese Chinese businessmen who were expelled by us a few days ago. You can imagine the resentment in their hearts. They are really capable and determined to destroy the entire Nagasaki! The Nagasaki military port was attacked, and now
The fire they started has destroyed half of Nagasaki's vitality."
"According to the budget of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, if the domestic situation is not supplemented at this time, a huge famine will occur in the country as early as the second half of this year! General Yamagata, war is just a continuation of politics, you
If you don't understand this, you will never become a first-rate general. If the foundation of the country is unstable, the victims are wailing, and the relatives of the soldiers under your command are about to starve to death, what do you think of the morale and combat effectiveness of this army?
"
After being said a few words by Ito, Yamagata's face suddenly changed. The drunkenness had long gone, and he immediately saluted and nodded:
"Ha Yi! I will restrain those idiots immediately and make sure they don't cause trouble to you!"
After Yamagata left, Ito picked up the telegram again and read it, with anger, helplessness, and sadness in his eyes.
Because what was written in this telegram was not just some details about the Nagasaki fire, but also some related requirements of the Zheng family.
“First, transfer/lease multiple pieces of land outside Nagasaki Minami-Yamate Town to Edward Gouda of the UK/Benjamin Pavard of France/Dino Zoff of Italy and others at a price of 1 yen.
Sir, this transaction must adopt an internationally recognized standard contract format and be witnessed by a manager from Citibank in the United States/HSBC in the United Kingdom."
"Second, the authority of Nagasaki Customs must be delegated by the United States within the next thirty years."
These two items alone make Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi’s eyes twitch!
Obviously, these transferred/leased lands must be the essence of Nagasaki Port. They seem to have been sold to foreigners, but without thinking too much, the actual controllers must be the Zheng family.
However, the Japanese government is still in the state of a small country with few people at this time. Once the corresponding contract is signed according to the above process, it will be even more difficult to abolish it. It is equivalent to "bang bang bang" at the same time.
Slap the Western powers of Britain and France in the face!
Of course, if Ito Hirobumi grits his teeth and really wants to abolish it, it can be done. Transactions between countries are nothing more than exchanges of interests, but it means that Japan has to pay more and more shocking prices.
The rest of the Zheng family's requests are similar to the first one. To put it simply, they are as disgusting as they come. They even asked for molds for printing Japanese currency. They want to open a banknote printing factory!
Even with the magnanimity of a man like Ito Hirobumi, his face turned pale with anger when he saw these demands made by the Zheng family, his hands holding the telegraph paper were trembling slightly, and the unique Japanese "Haga" curse was in his throat.
Although I held it in for a long time, I still didn't cry out.
After putting down the message, Ito Hirobumi rubbed his face vigorously with both hands, exhaled a long breath and pressed the bell on the desk. The secretary waiting outside immediately walked in and bowed:
"Sir, what are your orders?"
Ito Hirobumi picked up the telegram, then hastily scratched a few lines on it with a pen, handed it to his secretary and said:
"Submit this message to Mr. Kimura of the Ministry of Defense. The terms I drew are negotiable. If I did not draw them, I will firmly reject them and let Mr. Kimura follow up on the matter."
The secretary bowed deeply and left.
After Ito waited for him to leave, he stood up from the chair and walked around the room a few times, and then looked out the window tiredly.
At this time, looking down from the room where Ito was, you could see that the wind was strong in Tokyo Bay, with layers of waves rushing up one after another, smashing into pieces on the iron-green rocks, and then slowly receding.
And down.
The same is true of Japan's national power at this time. There is no way to retreat. It grits its teeth and moves forward in the turbulence of history. It will not be known until the moment before it is shattered whether it is a beach or a reef that is blocking it.
***
Two hours later, Fang Linyan was already running on the road to Shinano. Accompanying him was the ninja Hattori Kazumasushi.
Fang Linyan was a little distracted, because the previous prompts from the Mobius mark kept replaying in his mind:
"Are you sure you want to keep trying? So, are you ready to pay any price?"
To be honest, Fang Linyan asked himself, and he really couldn't give a definite answer. He only knew one thing very well now, that is, if he just accepted his fate like this! He would probably regret it for the rest of his life!!
Deep down in my heart, it’s hard to calm down after all!!
To be continued...