Chapter 279: "Gathering Foreign Aid for Revitalization"

"Great! Twenty-seven months of filial piety, such a long time, enough time for the empire to conquer Taiwan! After reading it, Shiki Kayama shouted excitedly. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

"Don't be too happy, Kayama-kun." Ito Hirofumi shook his head, "You don't know the etiquette system of the Qing State, I remember that if there is an emergency and the country needs this official to step out, the Qing government can forcibly reduce or cancel the time of filial piety, which is called 'seizing affection'." ”

Ito's words quieted down the excited crowd in the room.

"Ito-kun is very right, this is also an important system of the Qing Kingdom, the purpose is to prevent sudden situations." The erudite and familiar with the Chinese political system also said that the Xiyuan Temple Gongwang also said.

"Then we don't need to let the Qing government know about our actions." The excitement in Saigo's eyes did not decrease, "Because in the name of sending troops, we don't want to start a war with the Qing Kingdom!" It's about crusading against the barbarian natives of Taiwan! The Qing government has no telegram and will not know the news soon! ”

"What about the Qing government after it finds out?" Ito Hirofumi frowned slightly and asked again.

"By the time the Qing government knows, the land of those natives is already a colony of the empire!" Saigo said excitedly, and the scene of the sun flag flying high on the island of Taiwan seemed to have appeared in front of him, and he didn't notice it at all, and Ito Hirobumi's face had sunk a little.

"After the Qing government learns the news, what will be the reaction, have you thought about it?" Hirobumi Ito asked.

"With the consistent performance of the Qing government, they will not have any violent reaction!" Saigo finally understood what Ito Hirobumi meant, and his face turned red all of a sudden, and he immediately turned his gaze to Yanagihara Maemitsu and Saionji Kobo, "The rest of the work is the business of diplomats like Yanagihara-kun and Saionji-kun!" ”

Hearing Saigo's answer, a hint of anger flashed in the eyes of Yanagihara Maemitsu and Saionji Gongwang.

"Saigo-kun's thinking is too simple." Ito Hirofumi said coldly, "Taiwan is not the Ryukyus, and if the imperial army enters Taiwan, the Qing State will not sit idly by." ”

Listening to Ito Hirobumi's implicit sarcasm, Saigo was annoyed from the heart of the road, and he hurried to report the good news to Ito Hirobumi in order to dispel Ito's concerns and gain Ito's support. He knew that the ultimate purpose of his trip was to persuade Ito Hirobumi to do the work of the government (and Emperor Meiji), and that without Ito's advice, the government and even the emperor would not allow them to send troops to Taiwan.

"Xixiang-kun, Huashan-kun, you have to figure out that although Lin Yizhe has to keep filial piety for twenty-seven months, this time is very variable." Of course, Ito Hirofumi understood why Saigo had such an expression, but he still continued to pour cold water on Saigo, "Moreover, this person has great influence over the Qing government in Beijing, and we must not take it lightly." ”

"So what does Ito-kun think we should do now?" Saigo clenched his fists, looked directly at Hirobumi Ito, and asked loudly.

"First of all, it is necessary to verify the accuracy of this information." "We have to find out if he really wants to be filial to his aunt who died, because this man is very good at intrigue." With Yanagihara-kun's shrewdness, he has fallen into his trap, and you can imagine how powerful this person is. His gaze turned to Yanagihara Maeko, "I'm afraid I'll have to bother Yanagihara-kun about this matter." ”

"What do Ito-kun mean?" Yanagihara Maemitsu understood what Ito wanted to do, but he asked anyway to make sure that Ito Hirobumi's thoughts were the same as his own.

"Liu Yuanjun can go to Fuzhou in the name of condolences to see if this Governor Lin has really given up all his official positions and kept filial piety at home." Ito Hirobumi nodded, turned his gaze to everyone, and said, "This Governor Lin is the grandson of Lin Zexu, whom I admire very much, and I will buy a wreath, sign it autographically, and entrust Yanagihara-kun to hand it over to express my respect for him and his deceased relatives." ”

"I also want to lay a wreath to his deceased relatives." The prince of Xiyuan Temple suddenly said to Yanagihara Maemitsu: "Yanagihara-kun, please." ”

"Okay!" Yanagihara Maemitsu nodded.

"To mark the solemnity, I suggest that we all lay a wreath and sign our names." Hirofumi Ito suggested.

"Ito-kun's proposal is very good, and I suggest that everyone pay homage to a wreath." Yanagihara Maekomichi.

"Good!" Saigo thought about it and nodded in agreement.

He had already guessed from Ito Hirobumi's attitude, and Ito Hirobumi sent Yanagihara Maemitsu to verify whether Hayashi was really abiding by the system!

If Lin Yizhe really defends the system, then Ito Hirobumi should not oppose them sending troops to Taiwan, right?

Seeing that Saigo Congmichi also agreed to send a wreath, Kayama Shiki, although reluctant, also agreed. At that moment, Ito Hirofumi ordered Akura to take a pen and paper and start to write his signature.

After Ito Hirobumi finished writing his signature, Saionji Konobo took the pen and wrote his name as well, followed by Yanagihara Maemitsu, Saigo Shomichi, and Kayama Shikiki also stepped forward to write their names in turn. After signing the name, everyone handed over the money to Yanagihara Maemitsu for the wreath.

"This trip is very important, Yanagihara-kun, please!" Ito Hirofumi solemnly said to Yanagihara Maeko, "As long as the truth is discovered, Yanagihara-kun will be the first hero of the empire." ”

"I am willing to work for the revitalization of the empire!" Yanagihara Maeko is the color road.

"Come on! Let's all toast to the revitalization of the empire and to Yanagihara-kun! Hirobumi Ito suggested.

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

In the dead of night, the moon and stars are scarce.

Xiyuan Temple Gongwang rested his head and hands, lying on the couch as if he was asleep and waking up. Yanagihara Maemitsu, Saigo and Kayama Shikiki had already left, and after receiving a fairly satisfactory answer from Ito Hirobumi during the day, Saigo immediately resigned to Ito Hirobumi and rushed back to Tokyo by train overnight, while Yanagihara Maemitsu also returned to prepare to leave the next day.

It may be that the daytime party has aroused too many thoughts in him, and although it is late at night, the public hope of Xiyuan Temple is still sleepy.

After tossing and turning a few more times, the Saionji Gongwang, who realized that he could no longer sleep tonight, simply got up, put on his clogs, pushed open the sliding door at the door of the Japanese room and walked out. Outside, the sky was so clear that there was not a trace of clouds, making the black night sky even more lonely and empty, and the stars stretched far and wide to the boundless end, twinkling mysteriously from time to time. A bright moon hung high in the middle of the sky, and a circle of lilac moon halos surrounded it as if it were nothing.

The soft moonlight is dimly sprinkled down, the top of the hill, the deep eaves, the raised floor, the outdoor platform, the horizontal wooden wall of the outer wall, the cypress bark roof, etc., as well as the pavilion corner that is half hidden in the cherry blossom tree, the wind chimes under the deep eaves seem to be coated with a layer of pale cyan frost, and everything is silently bathed in the darkness and light. A gust of autumn wind blows, the wind chimes under the eaves of the belt send out a crisp bell, and the cold fragrance of flowers is accompanied by gusts of wind, which makes Xiyuan Temple Gongwang feel all overwhelmed, and it seems that even the gloom accumulated in his heart has dissipated a lot.

Walking across the mossy ground, he walked east along the main house of Chunhai Tower, and after walking through a dark and secluded alleyway between the two Japanese rooms, he suddenly stopped.

Under the bright moonlight, a sturdy figure is dancing with a knife in the moonlight!

The samurai long knife in the hand of the sword dancer slashed fiercely, and his bare feet stepped on the white sand paved practice field, making a rhythmic rustling sound.

Ito Hirobumi finally stabbed the illusory opponent with the last stab, and before he could withdraw the long knife in his hand, he heard a sparse but unusually clear applause immediately beside him.

"Ito-kun has long heard that he is a master of 'Shinto no thought flow', and I saw it today. Sure enough, it lives up to its name. Saionji Gongwang praised from the bottom of his heart - there was no shortage of swordsmanship masters among the scholars of the late Bakugawa Restoration, such as Sakamoto Ryoma and Katsura Kogoro, who were once famous swordsmen in those years, and he had heard that Ito Hirobumi was also a good player, and when he was young, he even escaped the pursuit of the new writing group with a long knife. But even though the two had been friends for many years, it was only tonight that he first saw Ito's swordsmanship.

Ito Hirobumi stared at the 100-tempered steel knife that glittered in the moonlight in his hand, and he didn't seem to realize the praise of Saionji Gongwang.

Saionji stepped forward in silence and took the long knife from Hirobumi Ito. He frowned, looked at the blade like a pool of water, and said in a solemn tone, "The three major dojos of Edo, 'Beichen Ichito-ryu' specializes in one 'technique', while 'Mirror Heart Wise Stream' takes a 'position', and 'Shinto Thoughtless Stream' focuses on the word 'force'. If we talk about the momentum and strength of the enemy, among the three major dojos, it is natural that the 'Shinto Thoughtless Stream' is the first. But it's only because it's too gravity, so it's the hardest to last. ”

"That's right, Saionji-kun." Ito Hirofumi glanced at the public hope of Xiyuan Temple, and first casually echoed the latter. Then he retrieved his saber from the hand of the prince of Xiyuan Temple, and walked a few steps to the stone table on the edge of the white sand. Picked up the scabbard on the table, put the Muramasa knife into the sheath, and sat down comfortably and reservedly on the ground next to the stone table, before he opened his mouth again: "Tao An, can't you sleep when you come out so late?" ”

"Isn't it the same with Your Excellency?" Saionji Gongwang walked up to Ito Hirobumi and sat down, he stared at Ito Hirobumi's deep eyes, and asked, "Dare to ask Ito-kun, if Nabayashi Yoshizhe really abides by the system, do you want to support Saigo-kun to send troops to Taiwan?" ”

Hearing the question of the prince of Saionji, Ito Hirobumi took a long breath, as if he was about to exhale the depression in his chest, he took a slow breath, but did not answer immediately.

"Does Ito-kun really think that the Qing Dynasty turned a blind eye to the empire's secret expedition to Taiwan to crusade against the indigenous tribes?" Saionji Gongwang stared at Ito Hirobumi, "Or does Ito-kun also think that with the current strength of the empire, he can defeat the Qing Kingdom?" ”

After listening to Saionji's words, Ito Hirofumi sighed, took a long breath from his heart, and his tone became dull and gloomy: "If the empire really has the strength to defeat the Qing Kingdom, does it still need to be so sneaky?" Wouldn't it be easier to send troops directly? ”

"Since Your Excellency knows the strength of our country so well, then why do you want Yanagihara-kun to spy on intelligence?" Saionji Gongwang's voice was full of doubts, "Ito-kun, I really don't understand. ”

"You don't understand?" Hirobumi Ito sighed, "How many people in the whole of Japan will understand......

Xiyuan Temple said hurriedly, "Xixiang-kun and Huashan-kun are both soldiers, and it is reasonable for the two of them to take pleasure in martial arts. But why did you, Ito-kun, get involved with them? ”

"Fortunately, Huashan has already left, otherwise if he hears your remarks, I am afraid that you and Itagaki will be first-class in the Kuomintang." What surprised the Saionji Gongwang was that after listening to his angry words, Ito Hirofumi was not moved, but joked with him.

"So what's the matter if it's the first class of the Kuomintang?" The anger in the heart of Xiyuan Temple Gongwang gradually rose, and his tone gradually turned sharp, "Improving people's livelihood and cultivating people's strength, which of these propositions of the People's Party is wrong?" ”

"When I returned from France this time, I met on the dock those prostitution girls who came out of the low-class brothels to solicit customers, Ito-kun...... You know what? Most of them were women from down-and-out samurai families! The reason why they are like this is just to let their families have food and clothing...... Ito-kun, is it wrong for Japan to force the samurai to this point now, to improve the people's livelihood, and to cultivate the people's strength? "Xiyuan Temple Gongwang's language trembled, his complexion was gloomy, and he was crying like a complaint, Rao is Ito Hirofumi has always boasted of his strong mind, but he also heard it sadly.

The door of the Japanese-style room closest to the white sand suddenly "creaked", and Chiyoko, who was not powdered, appeared in front of the two of them in a plain kimono. Holding a lacquer plate in both hands, she walked up to the two of them with small steps, and placed a pot of sake, two wine glasses, and a few side dishes on the stone table.

When she did these things, she kept her eyebrows down and remained silent, and only when she turned to leave, did she look forward to Ito Hirobumi's eyes in the mountains of Meidaichun, and the latter immediately showed a naked lewd smile.

"Chiyoko......" Saionji Kobo suddenly spoke, he looked at the young geisha who was also from a samurai family with a look of surprise on his face, and said in a deep tone: "You are really lucky to meet Ito-kun......"

Seeing Chiyoko turn to herself with a puzzled face, Ito Hirobumi only smiled and waved his hand, and continued, "It's okay, he's just jealous of me." You go back first, but don't sleep too hard, it's better not to live up to the beautiful scenery tonight. ”

Chiyoko smiled, turned around and left. Ito picked up the flask and filled a glass for himself and Saionji Gongwang.

"Ito-kun, what the hell do you think?" Xiyuan Temple Gongwang asked with some eagerness.

Ito Hirofumi picked up the wine glass, stared at the pale yellow liquid in the glass, which was clearer in the moonlight, and said lightly, "I don't have any ideas?" ”

"Huh?" Saionji Gongwang was stunned, and he looked at Ito Hirofumi with a little confusion, but he didn't answer the latter's words.

"I'm not saying that your idea of putting people's livelihood first is wrong. In the same way, I don't think there is anything wrong with the strategy of 'conquering Korea' and 'conquering Taiwan' advocated by Saigo...... In fact. There is only one criterion for judging these things, and that is the result! In order to achieve the desired results, in addition to using the means flexibly, it is also necessary to know how to grasp the timing. Ito's eyes flickered, and his tone gradually turned sonorous.

"In the early years of the Meiji era, when I accompanied Iwakura-kun on a tour of Europe and the United States, the iron-blooded prime minister Bismarck warned me that the countries of the world today are actually superior to each other, and the commander of the Prussian army, General Moltke, put it more bluntly," Ito Hirobumi continued with a solemn expression: "He told me that the so-called public law of all nations depends entirely on the strength ......of the country, and only those who abide by the public law are a matter of effect. As for the great powers, they all use their national strength to realize their power. I have never dared to forget these words for a day, especially when the mountain rain is approaching. ”

"Saionji-kun, do you think that with the national strength of Japan today, it can become a first-class or even second-class power with the strength of its own country alone?" Hirobumi Ito turned to Saionji Gongwang and asked.

"Can't!" The prince of Xiyuan Temple replied very simply, "If the empire wants to rise quickly, it can only rely on foreign aid. ”

"Saionji-kun is right. But if you want to rely on foreign aid, you have to be able to see it. Ito Hirobumi nodded approvingly and continued: "Taoan, you have been on a mission to Europe, you should know the British rhetoric, right?" -- The so-called powerful countries in the Far East are only Britain, Russia, and the Qing Dynasty, and as for our Japanese Empire, although it has also tried its best to carry out reform, in the eyes of the European and American powers, compared with the Qing Dynasty, Japan is just a small country! And the best way to get them to abandon such misunderstandings is to defeat the Qing State directly on the battlefield! ”

"Defeat the Qing Kingdom on the battlefield?!" Gongwang of Xiyuan Temple was taken aback, "But without foreign aid, how can the Qing State be defeated with the existing military strength of the empire?" ”

"Xiyuan Temple-kun, do you know that there is another important reason why Xixiang-jun and they are so active in passing through Taiwan?" Hirobumi Ito smiled and asked.

Saionji Gongwang shook his head, and Ito Hirobumi took a sip of wine and gave the answer.

"It's because their actions have the support of the Chinese people."

"Rice people?" Xiyuan Temple Gongwang was shocked again.

"That's right! Not only did all the arms in their operation be purchased in the United States, but there were also American soldiers in the team as guides. "And if he succeeds, Li Xiande, a native of the United States, will become the governor of Taiwan." ”

"No wonder you, Ito-kun, are so enthusiastic...... "Saionji Gongwang suddenly realized.

"Although the Mi government has no intention of becoming the Empire's foreign aid now, if Saigo-kun's adventure can achieve certain results and force the Qing State to accept the fait accompli, then the Mi Kingdom may look at the Empire differently." Ito said, "Actually, not only the United States, but also the European countries will have a new understanding of the empire, and in that case, the empire will have the opportunity to rejuvenate itself with foreign aid!" ”