"In the embassy, there must be someone who is a 'clear detective'!" Seeing that Yanagihara Maemitsu dared to question himself, Okubo was furious, and he said his true thoughts on the spot without caring about the faces of everyone in the embassy. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

"Your Excellency Okubo! How can you do that! Yanagihara Maemitsu was so angry that he almost roared at Okubo Ritsu, "Do you know what you're talking about?" Do you know what impact your words will have on the faithful people who work for the Empire here? ”

Okubo Ritsu was annoyed when he saw Yanagihara Maezitsu jumping to his feet and yelling at him, and he wanted to return the salute fiercely, but considering Yanagihara Maemitsu's identity as an "imperial relative", he forcibly swallowed this breath. He didn't quarrel with Yanagihara Maemitsu again, but just let out a heavy "hum" from his nose, threw the ginseng in his hand to Ito Hirobumi, glared at Yanagihara Maemitsu angrily, and turned around to leave.

Seeing Okubo Ritsu leave angrily, Ito Hirobumi sighed, handed the ginseng in his hand to Yanagihara Maemitsu, nodded at him comfortingly, and then turned around and walked quickly to chase Okubo Ritsu.

Okubo returned to his room and sat down.

Hirobumi Ito walked in quickly, and when he saw Okubo again, he was surprised to find that the anger on Okubo's face had disappeared.

"Jiamu, do you really think that there will be Qing detectives in the embassy?" Hirobumi Ito asked.

"Then how do you explain those two branches of ginseng? How did Lin Yizhe know the news that Vice Island-kun was seriously ill? Okubo asked rhetorically.

"Maybe he didn't see Vice Island-kun, and maybe he guessed." Hirobumi Ito said, "Kogi, the first time you deal with this person, you may not know that this person is extremely observant, and it is by no means comparable to ordinary people. ”

"I hope that's what you say, Shunsuke." Okubo looked at Hirobumi Ito and said, "But we can't let our guard down!" ”

"Yes." Hirobumi Ito nodded and said, "I'll tell Yanagihara-kun to let him ...... Be careful when arranging for people to do those things. ”

"Don't leave it all to him, you have to be involved, understand?" Okubo said.

"Okay." Although Ito Hirobumi was quite unimpressed with Okubo Ritsu's suspicions, he did not show it on his face.

He knew that now was not the time for them to make a fuss!

At this time, Kido Takayoshi also walked in, and Ito Hirobumi began to discuss the next move with the two of them. And while the Japanese were conspiring, their opponents were not idle.

A carriage left the prime minister's yamen, and did not go directly to Xianliang Temple, where Lin Yizhe lived, which was also the place where foreign officials came to Beijing to stay, but went outside the city.

Lin Yizhe's purpose was, first, to deliberately avoid meeting with Yanagihara Maemitsu and other Japanese "old friends", so as not to clear up the rumors and official mouths, and then to take a break and see the scenery of Beijing in this era.

Lin Yizhe sat quietly in the carriage, staring at the fading Beijing city wall through the screen window of the car, this ancient city wall that was ruthlessly demolished in later generations now seems to no longer have the architectural aesthetics praised by Mr. Liang Sicheng, who tried to protect it back then. It's just that the rippling water in the moat under the city, as well as the verdant willow trees on the riverbank, make people feel a little lively.

"What is Kunyu looking at?" Guo Songtao, who was sitting in the first place in the car, asked with interest, now he has gone to the official uniform, only wearing a set of fine kudzu robes, plus a horse coat, and a melon skin hat on his head, he looks quite like a pedant from Sanjia Village who travels by car, only the pair of nose glasses on the bridge of his nose looks a little nondescript, but it also covers the look on his face just right.

"Hehe, I just looked at the city wall of Beijing from a distance, and suddenly I felt a little emotional." When Lin Yizhe heard this, he immediately turned to Guo Songtao, and replied with feeling.

"Oh?" The fifty-six-year-old Guo Songtao raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "Emotional? Can Kunyu tell me about it? ”

"Guo Gong knows," Lin Yizhe thought for a moment and said: "I am looking at this hundred-year-old city, as well as the flowing water and willows in front of the city, and I can't help but think of my foreign affairs in the Qing Dynasty. ”

He turned around and faced Guo Songtao directly, and said calmly: "This ancient city of Beijing, if it was a hundred years ago, can be called impregnable!" But in this modern world, the power of the French Schneider cannon and the German Krupp cannon in the atlas dedicated to Guo Gong in the past days will penetrate this ancient city wall...... And since these water and land passes are no longer sufficient, then I should be diligent in cultivating military equipment, using Western methods, training elite soldiers, and thinking that it is the dry city of the country. But this foreign affairs have been done for many years, and its actual effect is just like the weeping willows outside the city wall, just an embellishment......"

His words were almost mean, and Guo Songtao on the other side couldn't help but be moved.

"I can't imagine that this city wall and a few willows can make Kunyu feel so much." Guo Songtao smiled and said, "However, this is not unexpected by the old man......"

"Guo Gong really knows me." Lin Yizhe looked at Guo Songtao, who was already old, and couldn't help but sigh secretly in his heart.

Guo Songtao could guess what Lin Yizhe was thinking, but he couldn't guess where his future fate would go!

In the original historical time and space, Guo Songtao, who had lived idle for many years, came to Beijing as a person who understood foreign affairs because of the Japanese invasion of Taiwan, and was summoned by the Empress Dowager Ci'an and Cixi, and was soon awarded the Fujian Imperial Envoy. Almost at the same time, the "Margaret case" of the British Margaret who was killed in a clash with local residents suddenly occurred on the distant Sino-Burmese border in Yunnan. At that time, Guo Songtao would not have thought that this incident would eventually affect the fate of his later years.

After the "Margaret case" occurred, the Qing government was at a loss and had no choice but to agree to various British demands, one of which was to send ministers to Britain to "apologize" and serve as minister to Britain. After choosing, the Qing court decided to send Guo Songtao to take on this important task, because he was known for his understanding of foreign affairs.

The news of China's dispatch of envoys spread and caused an uproar. For thousands of years, the Chinese civilization has been radiating from all directions with its splendid splendor, attracting "all directions to come to court", believing that other countries are "vassals" of barbarian states, and it is determined that it will send "tribute envoys" to China to worship, and there is absolutely no such thing as China sending envoys to "station abroad". In short, in the traditional Chinese concept, there is only the "rational domain" that embodies the relationship between the clan (China) and the vassal (foreign), and there is no equal "diplomacy". In the late 19th century, although China was repeatedly invaded by foreign powers, this appearance did not change, and it was regarded as a great shame and humiliation for the foreign state to be sent by China and China's foreign envoys. Therefore, Guo Songtao's relatives and friends all think that this trip is auspicious and unlucky, they are worried about him, and they deeply regret that he went abroad to "disgrace his reputation". He believes that China's sending envoys "is only a serious humiliation to the country, although there are wise men who have nothing to do", and Guo "uses his life to learn and practice, and rides geese for the rivers and seas, which is a pity". "Guo Shilang's article is learned, and the wind of the world is lin. It's a pity to go on this mission. More people even think that going abroad is a "ghost", and traitors, the city is full of wind and rain, boiling, and the Hunan gentry who had a very conservative atmosphere at that time were even more angry, thinking that this trip would disgrace the face of Hunan people, and they would expel him from the province, and even threatened to smash Guo Songtao's home.

Under strong pressure, Guo Songtao excused himself several times with illness, but he was not approved, and finally boarded a ship from Shanghai to England in December 1876. Before leaving, the imperial court was invited by the Prime Minister Yamen to send Guo Songtao to the General Administration of the diary and other diaries recorded along the way. This is exactly what Guo Songtao meant, he has long wanted to introduce his understanding of the Western way of prosperity and strength to the Chinese people, so that the Chinese people will wake up from the dream of "**** to the country" and regard foreign civilizations as heretics. After dozens of days at sea, he arrived in London in late January 1877 and immediately sent back to the General Administration an extremely detailed diary of these dozens of days entitled "The Journey to the West". In his diary, he not only objectively recorded what he saw and heard, but also made his own evaluation of what he saw. From the geographical location, customs, customs, and religious beliefs of more than a dozen countries passing through, to the beginning of Turkey's parliamentary and constitutional reforms, the huge river digging machine of the Suez Canal, and the role of "mercantilism" in the prosperity and power of the West...... All of them were introduced, so that the people of the country could have a better understanding of the world and get rid of the arrogant state of Yoro. However, as soon as the prime minister Yamen published this book, it immediately attracted wave after wave of verbal criticism from the stubborn old guards in the government and the opposition, and for a time the crowd was turbulent, and there were many pieces of impeachment against him by the officials, and many people demanded that Guo Songtao be removed from his post and transferred back, but because they could not find a suitable candidate, the Qing court failed to recall him, but ordered the book to be destroyed and banned from circulation.

In the ambassador to the UK, Guo Songtao is also facing an increasingly fierce "fight in the nest" with his deputy Liu Xihong. Liu Xihong was supported by Li Hongzao, the leader of the "Northern Qingliu" who was a conservative member of the Qing government, secretly monitored Guo Songtao's every move, and constantly made "small reports" to the Qing government about Guo Songtao, listing all kinds of "crimes." Among them, the most serious crime is that Guo Songtao slandered the Chinese government to the British, compromised with the British, and so on. Of course, Guo Songtao was angry about Liu Xihong's framing and tried his best to defend himself. The relationship between the two is like fire and water, full of wind and rain, and it is irreconcilable. In August 1878, the Qing government ordered the two to be transferred back at the same time. Originally, the Qing court also planned to investigate and punish Guo Songtao, but it was only after the opposition of Li Hongzhang, Zeng Jize and others that it was stopped.

At the end of January 1879, Guo Songtao left London and set off for China. After arriving in Shanghai, he was exhausted and asked for leave to return home. When he returned to his hometown of Changsha in May, what awaited him was that the whole city posted posters all over the city, accusing him of "colluding with foreigners". Soon after, the imperial court granted him retirement. In this way, Guo Songtao left the political stage amid insults. Later, he was still deeply worried about state affairs, and often confided his views on society and politics to his friends, and some enlightened people also praised his knowledge, and deeply regretted that it was not used by the imperial court, but was no longer used by the imperial court. On July 18, 1891, Guo Songtao died of illness in loneliness. After his death, Li Hongzhang once asked the Xuanfu National History Museum to set up a biography for Guo Songtao, and asked for a nickname, but he was not approved by the imperial court. The Qing court's edict once again emphasized: "Guo Songtao went abroad to send foreign envoys, and the books he wrote were quite controversial, and he was not allowed to write what he requested. ”

Of course, Guo Songtao's tragedy has his personal reasons, such as being too angry with books, not knowing how to change power, not knowing the rules of officialdom, being upright by nature but repeatedly causing trouble because of Geng's uprightness, and being talented and knowing people but inevitably being proud of his talents...... But this is a tragedy of the times and society. If the pioneers are not timely, they have been repeatedly attacked and persecuted, and it is precisely that era and society itself that have suffered more deeply and farther!

So, what kind of method should be used to change Guo Songtao's fate?

And now, because of his own connections, Guo Songtao appeared in Beijing a few months ahead of schedule and was appointed as his deputy to assist him in negotiations with the Japanese.

Today, after the end of this first round of negotiations with the Japanese, Guo Songtao took the initiative to go to Lin Yizhe to borrow books to read, and by the way to discuss how to deal with the Japanese in the next step.

"Chinese scholars are not diligent and far-sighted, and overseas affairs are untouchable, and they don't talk about them on weekdays, so once the sea comes suddenly, they are shocked like ghosts and gods, and they are afraid of thunder. It has to be changed. To be able to know the truth of the other, and then to plan the strategy of suppressing the enemy, is to sincerely talk about blood and hate, hope to snow the shame of China, and focus on the defense of the border and sea, so as not to fall into ghosts. Guo Songtao said, "Now that many years have passed since the Battle of Gengshen, the old shame seems to have been forgotten, this time Japan invaded Taiwan, first feared the enemy like a tiger, and was shocked overnight, and when he heard that the sea and land were victorious, he was confused by the crowd and talked lightly about the conquest. And today, people come to sue for peace, and you see, I don't know what kind of wind will come up. ”

"I'd like to see what else they can say."

Lin Yizhe knew that Guo Songtao was reminding himself to be careful of the impeachment of the officials, but he couldn't help snickering in his heart when he thought of the big hole he had dug for these guys.

"The old man has been out of control since he watched the "Chart of Foreign Divisional Ships" compiled by Kunyu, hehe." Guo Songtao didn't want Lin Yizhe's worries to disturb today's good mood, so he changed the topic and chatted with him about Western studies.

"Kunyu can know, when I first read the "Atlas of the Sea Kingdom", if I got the treasure, the book first came to my hands, it was just out of the carved book, neat and new, how do I know that after my reading, turn it over, fold the corners to make notes, and see the book as a handful of pickles, when I went to return the book to others, I blushed and lost one hundred and twenty careful, and then invited people to go to the front door Guangheju for a drink, and then it was settled." Guo Songtao talked about the past and said with a smile, "This time I borrowed Kunyu's book, and it definitely won't be like this." ”

"Guo Gong is polite, hehe, the book was printed by myself, there are many more books left, ready to be distributed to the princes of the road, the one in Guo Gong's hand, it will be sent to Guo Gong." Lin Yizhe said with a smile.

"Then you're welcome, hehe!" Guo Songtao was very happy to hear that Lin Yizhe had given him a book.

"When this peace talks are over, I will invite Guo Gong to go on the ship to take a look, and Guo Gong said to this Western ship that he should gain more." Lin Yizhe said, "I will play the emperor today, transfer the three ships of the shipmaster and sailor division to Beiyang, enrich the defense of Jingu, and come to Gu in a few days. ”

Hearing that Lin Yizhe was going to mobilize warships to Tianjin, Guo Songtao understood that Lin Yizhe's intention was to deter the Japanese, and he couldn't help but smile.

"It seems that Kunyu is really going to knock a stroke on the Japanese." Guo Songtao remembered the situation of today's negotiation with the Japanese, and couldn't help but be a little worried, "Kunyu is indeed sure, the Japanese are willing to spit out money to us?" ”

"Of course." Lin Yizhe nodded affirmatively, "If they dare not spit out the money, we will really go to greet the warship cannons, and they can't help but not spit out the money at that time." ”

"How much money does Kunyu plan to ask the Japanese to spit out?" Guo Songtao asked.

Lin Yizhe smiled secretly, stretched out five fingers, and shook them in front of Guo Songtao.

"Five hundred thousand taels?" Guo Songtao tried to answer.

Lin Yizhe smiled and shook his head.

"Is it five million taels?" Guo Songtao's eyes widened in surprise.

Lin Yizhe withdrew his hand and smiled undeniably.

"This ...... Isn't that too much? The Japanese are afraid that they may not be willing to come up with this money. Guo Songtao said with some concern.

Seeing Guo Songtao's surprised appearance, Lin Yizhe smiled secretly in his heart.

He couldn't imagine what kind of expression Guo Songtao would have when he heard his real asking price.

"Guo Gong just look at it!"

Seven days later, the second round of talks between China and Japan on the Taiwan issue officially began.

“…… This official has previously stated that the Chinese government is not directly responsible for this unfortunate incident. Okubo said, "Our government has no intention of starting a war at all, and it has not given any such order to the thieves of the Taiwan Fandi expedition!" Our government even sent officials to Nagasaki to prevent them from going to sea, but they missed the time! That's why they were able to go! This is the rampage of the thieves! Not the will of our government! ”

"But the actions of the thieves of your country are an out-and-out act of war for our country!" Lin Yizhe said in a deep voice, "Your government should be responsible for starting a war!" ”

"The Taiwan Shengfan expedition only entered Taiwan, and there was a fight with Shengfan, which cannot be said to be an act of war." Hirofumi Ito said calmly, "In the case of the 'Luo Mei Incident' (i.e., the 'Wanderer' Incident), American armed men also fought with each other, but on that occasion, your government did not determine that the US government was responsible for starting the war. ”

"What your envoy said is so light! The thieves of your country are not just fighting with the people! Lin Yizhe said sharply, "Before they landed, they launched a brutal attack on our country's Penghu sailors who came to stop them!" More than 2,000 people died! And then they killed the soldiers and civilians on Taiwan Island! What's more, the warships of the Japanese Navy brazenly attacked our Xiamen naval division, killing and wounding more than 4,000 of our officers and men! Then they bombarded Xiamen, causing countless casualties among our soldiers and civilians! In addition, the Japanese warships cut off our sea routes, plundered passing merchant ships, attacked our Nanyang Naval Division, and destroyed our ships, and the commander was the Japanese Navy Admiral Shikinori Kayama! This person is a vice admiral of the Japanese Navy, and whatever he does is put into any country, it is an act of war! Your government's responsibility for the war cannot be shirked! ”

Hearing Lin Yizhe talk about a series of stupid things done by the Japanese Navy under the command of Shiki Kayama, Okubo Ritsu couldn't help but curse in his heart, "Little thief of Kayama!" ”