After wiping the wine stains on Saigo Takamori's body, Chiho Kirino got up and saluted Saigo Takamori again, and then bowed slightly to the other people present, and then stepped out. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

Seeing Chiho Kirino's shadow disappear, Saigo Takamori turned around, and his expression returned to calm and calm.

"Life and death are fateful, and it is really beyond the power of man." Saigo Takamori said, raising the wine glass that Chiho Kirino had just filled for him, and drank it all.

Tokyo, Akasaka Glacier Town, Ginyuki-i.

Ginyuki is Katsukaishu's residence in Tokyo, and since he resigned from his post as Senate and Secretary of the Navy in the Meiji government, he has been living here idlely, writing poems and paintings, writing books for literature, and living the life of a literati hermit.

"Mr. Haizhou, please also see that when the country is in danger and it is the time to employ people, let's go out of the mountain!" Ito Hirofumi, who was sitting cross-legged in a suit, looked at Katsu Haizhou, who was splashing ink there, leaned forward, lowered his head, bowed slightly, and said sincerely.

No matter how Ito Hirofumi persuaded him, Katsu Haizhou still did not answer, but still concentrated on painting.

After a long while, Katsu Haizhou finished painting, and then turned his head and smiled at Ito Hirobumi.

"Ito-kun, please come and have a look at this painting."

Although his heart was restless, Ito Hirobumi did not show it on the surface, he got up and stepped forward, came to the table, and looked at the painting that Kaikatsu Kaishu had just painted.

Although Sheng Haizhou's painting is a traditional Chinese ink painting freehand, the content of the painting is not a landscape of flowers and birds that expresses the leisure and pleasure of literati, but a warship sailing through the waves!

Although Katsu Haishu used freehand brushwork, the detailed depiction of the battleship was still very clear, so that Ito Hirobumi recognized the identity of the battleship in the painting at a glance.

Katsu Haizhou's painting is the "Xianlin Maru" that he served as the captain and commanded back then!

The "Hamin Maru" was a steam-powered warship equipped with a three-masted sail, and it was the second junior warship of the Tokugawa shogunate to be equipped with a Western-style propeller after the "Kanko Maru". It was later used by the shogunate as a training ship for the Nagasaki Naval Training Center, and later participated in the Boshin War. After being received by the Meiji government, it was used as a transport ship for the development of Hokkaido. In September 1871, 401 former ministers of the Katakura clan were transported to Otaru, Hokkaido, when they were caught in a storm in Kikouchi Town and Izumisawa Chong, Hokkaido, and sank at Cape Saragi.

The "Hamin Maru" became famous because it was widely known as the shogunate's first ship to travel between the two shores of the Pacific Ocean.

In January 1860, the Edo shogunate sent envoys to the United States after signing a treaty of commerce with the United States. It was on that occasion that Katsukaishu asked to accompany him on a ship, and with the approval of the shogunate, Katsukaishu served as the captain of the "Hamrinmaru", and the commander was Kido Yoshiyoshi for the warship.

From the port of Uraga, the "Hamin Maru" overcame the stormy waters of the Pacific Ocean and arrived in San Francisco, USA, in 37 days, marking the first successful crossing of the Pacific Ocean by the Japanese. It was also the first time that Shenghaizhou crossed the ocean and saw the world outside.

Seeing this warship, which has now become history, Ito Hirobumi was also amazed.

"If it weren't for that crossing the Pacific Ocean, I'm afraid I would still be the frog in the well today." Sheng Haizhou sighed.

The "Hamin Maru" was a warship purchased by the shogunate from the Netherlands in 1857, and although its displacement was only about 400 tons, it was the result of concentrating the most advanced science and technology at the time. However, as the most advanced warship of the shogunate at that time, in terms of management and use, it still followed the old customs of the feudal era, and the people in the high positions did not know how to do it. Brooke, an American officer who accompanied him on the "Hamin Maru," once ridiculed the Japanese naval officers for having no naval knowledge, and Katsu Haishu was extremely indignant about this. At that time, he had already realized that modern warships must be operated by people who have mastered modern science and technology, and the relationship between people must also be adapted to them, so that advanced warships can play their due role.

It can be said that the "Xianlin Maru" changed the life of Katsu Kaishu.

After arriving in San Francisco, Katsu Haizhou came into contact with and observed American society under the capitalist system, and what he heard and witnessed there made him more convinced that he should break down feudal barriers and shackles and provide opportunities for talented people to play a role, regardless of family and status.

"Ito-kun knows that when this 'Xianlin Maru' was completed and put into service, it was the most advanced warship in Japan, but after just a few years, it was reduced to a transport ship." Katsu Haizhou said to Hirobumi Ito.

Hirofumi Ito immediately understood what Katsu Kaishu meant, and couldn't help but sigh. As a "famous ship" that once crossed the Pacific, the "Hamin Maru" participated in the Boshin War, because the condition of the ship was quite bad compared to other warships, and it could only be used for transportation tasks, so the "Hamin Maru" was almost captured by the Meiji government forces.

Sheng Haizhou said this, and the point is very obvious!

The current Japanese Navy has not added a single new warship, except for the 18-year-old and renovated Tsukuba ship, which was purchased from British merchants in 1871. That is, the renewal of ships of the Japanese Navy, in fact, has stalled.

During this period, the Chinese Navy has been adding new ships, and most of them are new warships produced by China itself!

Now Ito Hirobumi finally understands why Katsu Kaishu refuses to go out of the mountain.

"I see what Mr. Haizhou means." Hirobumi Ito sighed, "Mr. Kaishu thinks that once a war breaks out between the empire and the Qing state, the imperial navy will not have the slightest chance of winning against the Qing navy, right?" ”

"Yes." Sheng Haizhou said in a deep voice, "Indeed, as some optimistic people have seen, the Qing Navy does not have ironclad ships, while the Imperial Navy has two. If it really wants to fight, the Imperial Navy has a better chance of winning. But this is only the appearance, the current shipbuilding capacity of the Qing State is far above our country, and in terms of talent education and reserves, it is not weaker than our country! The Qing state's financial resources were far stronger than those of the empire. At the beginning of the war, the Imperial Navy may have a slight advantage, but after a long time, the Imperial Navy will definitely lose! With the financial resources of the Qing Kingdom, wouldn't it have purchased ironclad ships from France to confront the Imperial Navy? ”

Hearing this, Ito Hirobumi's face turned pale.

"The contest between countries is a contest of national strength! And not just a matter of one or two boats, a few cannons! Sheng Haizhou's voice suddenly became high-pitched, "Soldiers, the great plan of the country, the way of life and death, how can it be like child's play, easy to launch!" Although the Qing Kingdom is decaying, its national strength is still not comparable to that of today's Japan! Even if we can win this time, the land of Taiwan will not be included in the territory of Japan, and at most it will only extort some reparations! Once defeated, there will be no recovery, and there will be no chance to rise! For many years, the Qing Dynasty had been the suzerainty of East Asia, and had always despised Japan, treating Japan as no different from Korea, Vietnam, and the Ryukyus. The whole country will rise up in retaliation, and in a few years it will become Japan's great enemy! Napoleon still knew that the Qing Dynasty was a 'sleeping lion' and could not be easily woken up, but now the government is so eager for quick success and quick profit, taking the fortune of the country as a bet, which is more light than a throw, Ito-kun did not think it was wrong, and even persuaded me to go out of the mountain and add fuel to the fire. When did Ito-kun not notice this? ”

"Mr. Haizhou! In this case, there is not the slightest chance of victory for Japan? Ito's voice turned hoarse.

"I don't know if Ito-kun has ever heard that in the Qing Navy, there is a cutting-edge cruiser that was given to the Qing by the British government." Katsu Haishu no longer argued with Ito Hirobumi, but asked in a calm voice.

Hearing that Katsu Haizhou suddenly changed the topic, Ito Hirofumi was slightly stunned, and then nodded.

"There is such a thing, it was originally called 'Goddess of the Sea', and after it was given to the Qing Kingdom, the name became 'Princess Heshuo'."

"With such a cutting-edge cruiser, the British were able to generously give it to the Qing Dynasty, and when did Japan receive such preferential treatment from the British? The three docks in Mawei Harbor were all built with the assistance of France, and the Qing Dynasty did not spend a penny, so why did Japan receive such favorable treatment from France? Sheng Haizhou asked.

"Nope." Ito Hirobumi sighed and shook his head.

"The mother types of the warships built by the Fujian Shipbuilding Bureau of the Qing State are all from the drawings of the latest French warships, this kind of treatment is something that the Imperial Navy does not dare to dream of, but the Qing Navy easily got it, what does this mean, hasn't Ito-kun thought about it?" Sheng Haizhou asked again.

"Mr. Haizhou is saying, Lin Yizhe? ......" Hirobumi Ito's voice was unexpectedly trembling.

"That's right! That's him! What the Imperial Navy can't dream of, but this young man named Lin Yizhe can achieve his goal between talking and laughing! Sheng Haizhou said in a deep voice, "Mr. Dongxing is brave, how can he ever have such a skill?" How can this kind of opponent be won by Mr. Dongxing? ”

"Mr. Haizhou also knows that Lin Yizhe ......," Ito Hirofumi said softly, a hint of decadence flashed in his eyes.

"The first time I knew about this person, you Ito-kun told me!" Sheng Haizhou nodded, "You mentioned to me before that young Qing official named Lin Yizhe, and I have been paying attention to him since then, because I believe in your Ito-kun's vision. But today, Ito-kun, have you forgotten that Qing Guo has such a terrible opponent? ”

Ito Hirobumi was speechless, only let out a heavy sigh.

"This person's wrist is definitely comparable to a very human being!" Katsu Haizhou continued, "Ito-kun, your understanding of him is actually still superficial! ”

"Why did Mr. Haizhou say this?" Hirobumi Ito asked in surprise.

"Have Ito-kun ever heard of the legend of the 'Chinese Magic Box'?" Sheng Haizhou asked again.

"Of course I've heard of it!" Ito Hirobumi seemed to remember something, and his body suddenly shuddered.

"Ito-kun, not to mention whether this legend is true or not, just when the Franco-Prussian war between the two countries was at its fiercest, the French emperor wanted to attack the country with a navy, why didn't he choose many famous ministers and generals, but he wanted to use the solitary pull out of the ordinary?"