Seeing these Japanese soldiers with two knives stuck in their waists but rifles on their bodies, Mizuno felt extremely messy for a while. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

"Where did these soldiers come from?" Li Xiande obviously had the same question.

"These soldiers are all from my hometown of Kagoshima Prefecture, which is the former Satsuma Domain. They are all strong warriors! Saigo said with some pride, "The soldiers of my hometown Satsuma Domain are the most powerful in the Japanese army!" ”

"I now have a hunch that our operation this time will be a complete success!" Li Xiande complimented the ambitious Saigo Congdao at the right time.

Saigo Congdao and Li Xiande were talking happily, but suddenly saw a carriage speeding towards the dock.

Saigo recognized it as Shigenobu Okuma's carriage and couldn't help but be stunned.

Soon, the carriage came to a stop at the dock, the carriage door opened, and the figure of Okuma Shigenobu appeared.

At this time, the dock was in a chaotic mess, the sound of soldiers waiting to board the ship talking to each other, the sound of the coolies transporting supplies and baggage rushing back and forth, the shouting of the foreman, the figures walking back and forth everywhere, and the large clouds of smoke and dust raised by people's footsteps, which made Okuma Shigenobu feel suffocated when he had just gotten off the carriage.

Okuma Shigenobu looked around, and it was easy to see Saigo Congdao standing under the military flag, so he quickly separated everyone and walked towards Saigo Congdao.

Saigo vaguely sensed that Okuma Shigenobu might not have brought him good news, and the excitement and pride on his face just now gradually disappeared. He calmed down, straightened his uniform and saber, and walked towards Shigenobu Okuma.

"Okuma-kun, are you here to see us off?" Saigo asked with a relaxed smile.

Although Shigenobu Okuma opposed the "conquest of Korea" and "conquest of Taiwan" from the beginning, he unexpectedly supported the military's actions at the Imperial Council, and it was Saigo Congmichi's opinion of him that made a 180-degree turn, and his attitude was not as blunt as before.

"It's not." Shigenobu Okuma sighed and shook his head, "On the contrary, I'm here to tell you bad news. ”

"Oh? What's the bad news? Saigo smiled and asked.

"The government has passed a resolution to postpone the dispatch of troops to Taiwan." Okuma Shigenobu said, "The edict will be delivered in a moment." ”

"What? Delay the dispatch of troops? Why is that?! How can the government go back on its word? Saigo was shocked and immediately asked.

"You look at the newspapers and you'll know what's going on." Shigenobu Okuma said and waved his hand to the waiter, who immediately handed over a few newspapers, and Shigenobu Okuma took the newspaper and looked at it, turned it over to the side, and handed it to Saigo from the road.

Saigo took the newspaper from the road and glanced at it, and his face changed color.

It was a British-issued newspaper with a clear proclamation from a Western government announcing that each government was prohibiting its citizens from participating in the Japanese army's military operations in Taiwan.

"According to the information of the deputy island of the Beijing Legation, Britain, France, the United States, Austria, Italy and other countries have sent a note to the Qing government, saying that they will not allow their own people to assist the empire in sending troops, and it is forbidden to rent ships and sell military supplies to the imperial army." "In other words, Western countries are obviously opposed to the Empire's dispatch of troops to Taiwan, and in order not to cause diplomatic disputes, the Imperial Government passed a resolution yesterday to suspend the dispatch of troops to Taiwan. ”

Saigo's face turned pale, and instead of looking at the details of the newspapers, he stuffed them back into Shigenobu Okuma's hands.

"No...... No......," he said, shaking his head, muttering to himself.

"What do you say? Saigo-kun? Do you want to disobey? Okuma asked in surprise.

"No matter what, this operation must not be stopped!" Saigo suddenly turned his head from the road, looked at Shigenobu Okuma, and said viciously.

"What?!" Okuma was shocked.

"Please tell the government on my behalf that it is imperative to send troops this time!" Saigo said through gritted teeth.

"Saigo-kun, are you crazy?! Do you know what you're doing?! Okuma shouted.

"Of course I do!" Because he was too excited, the muscles on Saigo's face were twisted and became extremely hideous, so frightened that Okuma Shigenobu unconsciously took a step back.

"Okuma-kun! Look at these loyal Imperial soldiers! Have you ever thought about how they felt when they learned about the cancellation of the troop send? Saigo pointed to the surrounding Japanese army soldiers and said loudly to Okuma Shigenobu, "They are full of enthusiasm and hope, in order to expand the territory of the empire, but before they have a chance to take action, but when they get such news, what way do you think they should express their inner anger?!" ”

Saigo's words suddenly reminded Okuma Shigenobu of the "Saga Rebellion" that happened not long ago, and his heart couldn't help but sink.

Of course, he understood that Saigo's words were not alarmist.

In the summer of 1872, Shimazu Hisamitsu, one of the "Four Virtuous Marquis of the End of the Edo Period", who had been very dissatisfied with the policies of "returning the copyrights" and "abolishing the feudal domains and retiring the prefectures", wrote to Emperor Meiji and proposed 14 points, openly challenging the bourgeois reforms of the Meiji government. oppose civilization and educational reform; oppose the imitation of the British and French reform system; oppose "equality of the four peoples" and intermarriage, etc. After that, he sent people to Beijing to demand the removal of Okubo Ritsu and Okuma Shigenobu from their official positions. Although the Meiji government did not adopt his proposal, in December 1873, in order to alleviate the discontent of the conservative forces, the Meiji government appointed Shimazu Hisamitsu as the left minister. But this compromise did not change Shimazu's opposition to government reform. In January 1874, he again opposed the policy of Okubo Toshitsu and others, threatening the Meiji government with the intention of returning to his hometown (Kagoshima). Soon after, Shimazu Hisamitsu submitted a "letter of inquiry" to the ministers Minoru Sanjo, Iwakura Gushi, and others, accusing the Meiji government of "changing the uniforms of the former kings to Western uniforms", "changing the calendar to Western calendars", and that all government ministries "imitated the foreign system", that the school system and military system were all "Western-style", that "the senator was also the secretary of the province", and that "civil engineering that was not urgently needed" and so on, and insisted on restoring uniforms, school systems, the military, and taxes. Shimazu Hisamitsu also threatened that if his opinion was not adopted, he would not be able to serve in his own office, and he would petition for his resignation and demand that Okubo be removed from all positions. In addition, he demanded that Shigenobu Okuma be immediately removed from his position as senator, that Saigo Takamori and Itagaki be recalled, and that they be reinstated. Until Shigenobu Okuma was dismissed from the Senate, he himself did not participate in politics in order to force the government. These anti-government demands were unacceptable not only by Ritsu Okubo and others, but also by Minoru Sanjo and Gumi Iwakura, who wanted to accommodate Shimazu Hisamitsu. However, because Okubo Ritsu was born in the Satsuma Domain, Shimazu Hisamitsu was the former lord of the domain, so there was no open confrontation. However, Shigenobu Okuma, who was born in Saga Castle in the Hizen Domain, had no worries, and he resolutely pointed out: "Unlike in the past, now I, Okuma, am also a courtier. Why would a courtier go so rashly because of an old feudal lord! Because of the counterattack of the reformists, Shimazu Hisamitsu's demand for restoration was not realized, and he was finally forced to retire.

Unexpectedly, however, when Shimazu Hisamitsu and other former feudal lords fiercely opposed the Meiji government's reform measures, the old scholars, dissatisfied with the Meiji Restoration's reforms, openly launched an anti-government rebellion. The first outbreak site happened to be in Saga, the hometown of Shigenobu Okuma!

At the end of 1873 and the beginning of 1874, the Saga clan established the "Seokhan Party" and the "Kokukoku Party". The two parties are led by former Meiji government senator Eto Shinpei and former Akita Prefecture governor Yoshitoshi Shima, respectively. In January 1874, Eto Shinhei and Yoshiyoshi Shima were welcomed back to Saga from Tokyo and Akita. The "Korean Expedition Party" was indignant at the defeat of the Korean faction and advocated an immediate conquest of Korea, demanding that the Korean military be sent as an opportunity to establish national power. At that time, Eto Shinpei wanted to use the power of the two parties to conquer Korea and worry about the country to bring the cabinet meeting back to the expedition to Korea. The "Kuokuo Party" opposed the reforms carried out by the Meiji government and demanded the reactivation of the "elders of Nakōrei" (Shimazu Hisamitsu, Saigo Takamori, and Eto Shinhei) to implement the feudal county system at home, and to conquer Korea and attack Taiwan externally.

After gathering more than 3,000 soldiers, Eto Shinhei and Yoshiyoshi Shima wishfully thought that Saigo Takamori would raise troops in Kagoshima, and the Itagaki Retreat Association would raise troops in Kochi, and then the gentry groups of Kyushu and Shikoku would echo it, and it would be easy to succeed. On February 4, 1874, Eto Shinpei robbed the Onogumi Bank, grabbed 200,000 yen in funds, and launched an armed rebellion, but things did not develop as they imagined. News of the Saga rebellion reached Tokyo, and on the 4th and 7th, the Meiji government ordered the Ministry of War to dispatch troops from Kumamoto, Tokyo, and Osaka to suppress it. On February 10, the Meiji government sent Okubo Ritsuri to Kyushu. On the 18th, Meiji government forces occupied Saga Castle, and the rebellion was put down five days later. After Eto Shinhei and Yoshiyoshi Shima escaped, they were arrested and beheaded in Kagoshima shortly after.

Although the scale of the Saga Rebellion was small, it was very powerful for the Meiji government, and Okubo Toshitsu and Okuma Shigenobu and others realized that the shiki clan had become a huge powder keg, and if it exploded, it was likely to shatter the Japanese government. It was after the "Saga Rebellion" that Okubo Ritsu and Okuma Shigenobu both changed their attitudes towards the "conquest of Taiwan".

In their view, the "conquest of Korea" may trigger direct intervention by China and Russia, because after all, Korea is directly bordered by China and Russia, and is close to the Qing Dynasty's northeastern "land of Longxing", so the risk of rashly starting a war against Korea is too great, and the risk of attacking Taiwan's "terra nullius" is undoubtedly much smaller.

"Okuma-kun, don't insult the morale of the army! Please also ask Okuma Jun to help, and ask the government to take back the order! Saigo noticed that Okuma Shigenobu's face had changed, and knowing that what he had just said had worked on him, he immediately stood up straight, said in a sincere tone, and bowed solemnly to Okuma.

Shigenobu Okuma's body trembled, obviously frightened by Saigo's request.

"Please! Okuma-kun! Delaying the dispatch of troops will greatly damage the morale of the army, absolutely not! Saigo saw Okuma's hesitant appearance from the road, so he simply became ruthless, stepped forward, and said like chewing steel, "No matter what, I have to act!" If the government forcibly prevents it, I am willing to return His Majesty the Emperor's Decree of Full Mandate! Going straight to the lair of a thief will definitely not affect the empire! ”

Hearing Saigo's words, Okuma was shocked with confidence.

Although shocked by Saigo's boldness, Shigenobu Okuma also had to admit that Saigo's statement was justified. He pondered for a long time, and finally made up his mind, and nodded to Saigo Congdao.

"Saigo-kun, please hurry up! Don't waste any more time! Okuma Shigenobu turned his head to look at the chaotic docks, and said in a deep voice, "It's too late, and when the messenger arrives, it's too late!" ”

"Thank you Okuma-kun for making it happen!" Saigo learned that Okuma Shigenobu was determined to help him, and he couldn't help but be grateful, and bowed to him again.

"I'm going to send a telegram to Tokyo right now, saying 'morale is strong, it's hard to ban it,' and ask the government to retract the order." Okuma Shigenobu bowed slightly to Saigo and said.

"Good! Then there's Lao Okuma-kun! Saigo straightened up, his face already full of excitement.

"Let's go!"

"Yes!"

Not long after, under the strict order of Saigo Congdao, the wharf quickly ended the chaotic situation, and the first batch of Japanese troops invading Taiwan, totaling more than 3,600 people, all boarded the ship. Watching the flotilla escorted by the ironclad ship "To" and the gunboats "Nisshin" and "Meng Chun" leave the dock, Okuma sighed, and then got into the carriage and went to the post and telegraph to send a telegram to Tokyo.

By the time the Emperor's envoy arrived at the dock, the fleet had turned into a few small smoking black dots in the distant sea antenna. The envoy could only look at the messy docks and lament.

Tokyo, Imperial Palace.

"The first armies have already set off?" After receiving the report, Emperor Meiji's brows habitually furrowed, "Didn't you send a telegram first?" And didn't Okuma go to Nagasaki? Didn't Okuma be able to stop Saigo from getting on board? ”

"Yes, Your Majesty. Because of the weather, there was a delay in the telegram, so the fleet had already set off before the envoy arrived. Saigo-kun was not able to receive telegrams and edicts. Okubo replied, "Okuma arrived at the docks, but was unable to dissuade the army from leaving. He sent a telegram saying that the morale of our troops was strong, and that if we forcibly banned the dispatch of troops, it would cause chaos. ”

Okubo replied while carefully observing Emperor Meiji's face.

The report he had just reported to the emperor had actually concealed two important circumstances, one was that the telegram had been delayed, not because of the weather, but because the messenger was a low-ranking samurai from the Satsuma Domain.

Another situation is that Okuma Shigenobu was actually persuaded by Saigo from the road! He was worried that it would lead to a rebellion, so he deliberately acted in such a play!

At this time, Okubo Ritsu could not have imagined that this telegram delay, and Saigo's "rampage", would be the beginning of the famous "Shimokagami" in Japanese history!

"Saigo Congdao dares to disobey my orders!" Emperor Meiji is not stupid, he has already guessed some of the hidden secrets from Okubo Ritsu's words, and his eyebrows are instantly full of anger, "If you act so recklessly, once you cause an international dispute, where will it be in the world?!" Where do I go?! ”

Okubo wanted to defend Saigo Norimichi, but when he saw the emperor angry, he couldn't help but be taken aback, and he couldn't say those words.

"Preach my will! The order was to withdraw the second and third groups of troops, and not to set off! Emperor Meiji said sharply to the military attaché, "Then send a ship to chase back Saigo from the province!" ”

Okubo Ritsu was taken aback when he heard Emperor Meiji's order, and was about to persuade him, but the emperor turned around, took square steps, and staggered away.

Okubo let out a heavy sigh in his heart, and he didn't say anything more, but stood in place and bowed in salute to the emperor's thin back.

Soon, several Japanese Navy steamboats, which served as notification ships, left the port of Nagasaki and rushed with difficulty towards the rough sea. Their target is Saigo's troop convoy. They were to convey Emperor Meiji's order to withdraw troops to Saigo Komichi. At this time, Saigo had already gone far from the road, and the sea conditions suddenly became bad, which made it difficult for these "substitute notification ships" to catch up.

At about the same time, on the other side of the sea, off the coast of China's Tianjin Dagukou Port, a Chinese Navy notification ship was speeding on the sea like an arrow from the string.

This high-speed notification ship is the "Flying Thunder" belonging to the shipmaster's sailor.

At this time, the "Flying Thunder" was carrying the imperial court's will to Lin Yizhe to "regain his affection" and sailed straight to Fuzhou.

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"Li Wenzhong's Collected Works: On Japan's Attempt to Attack Taiwan (March 25)": "...... In the past few days, he has met with the English translator Mei Huili, the German translator Arnd, and the US vice consul Bidger, and they have used the Oriental telegrams received by various countries to show that Japan is planning to attack Taiwan. He also said that the American Li Xiande led the army, and hired an American naval division officer to lead the warships. It is roughly the same as the letter from Shanghai that we are currently receiving from Shanghai. If this is true, it is not only Japan that is perverse and unfavorable, that is, the Americans helped to lead the troops and hired merchant ships to load the military uniforms of the soldiers, which is contrary to the public law of the world, and is inconsistent with the meaning of the first paragraph of the US treaty to assist in mediation. When meeting with the US envoys, it seems that they can first discuss the various reports and the correspondence of various countries. If the United States abides by public law and withdraws Li Xiande and others, it is strictly forbidden for merchant ships to be hired and loaded with soldiers. The Japanese envoy Yanagihara Maemitsu is expected to go to Shanghai from time to time, but he is not convinced. The country did not send a letter to inform the society, but only sent the telecommunications money to Shanghai Daoyun: "Send someone to Taiwan to inquire." 'Vague and unpredictable. It's hard to guarantee that I won't take advantage of my unpreparedness and go straight in. There are quite a few self-made military steamers and naval vessels in Fujian Province, and it seems that they should first be sent to various ports in Taiwan to check and look. If a Japanese warship enters the country, ask it why it came? If the ship is carrying more than one soldier, it should be stopped immediately and not allowed to enter the ship. I will discuss the official affairs clearly, and then listen to the progress. ……”