Osaka, the headquarters of the Satsuma Army's staff.

Chiho Kirino hurriedly walked in the corridor, she didn't come here often, so after entering this Western-style building, she still felt a little confused.

Fortunately, the samurai and guards here recognized her, and after seeing Chiho Kirino, one of the guards gave her a Western-style military salute.

"Where's General Lin?" Chiho Kirino asked, her voice filled with anxiety.

"Madam, the general is tired today, he should be asleep at this moment, probably in the lounge." The guard explained.

"Take me there." Chiho Kirino nodded and said.

The guards took the order and took Kirino Chiho and others to the door of Lin Yiqing's lounge, and the two Satsuma samurai guarding the door saw Kirino Chiho, raised their hands and saluted, then gently opened the door, and then retreated.

The people in the room didn't speak again, and Chiho Kirino took a gentle step and came to Lin Yiqing's bed.

"Chiho ......"

Lin Yiqing was already awakened by the sound of the door opening, he just straightened up, looked at this familiar face, only felt that his heart was relieved, and then he was dizzy, his legs trembled, and he fell straight down again......

When Lin Yiqing woke up again, he found that he was already lying on a shelf bed in a familiar room, covered with a soft brocade quilt, a porcelain pillow under his head, and a porcelain cup, spoon and a jade ruyi on the mahogany coffee table in front of him. He blinked at the delicate carvings on the mahogany ceiling of the bed on the shelves, and the rows of cirrus moire decorations on the walls of the beds around him. For a moment, I forgot how I got here.

"Awake?" A familiar voice suddenly sounded in his ears, Lin Yiqing turned his head to look, and his eyes suddenly lit up - Chiho Kirino was blinking a pair of crystal clear eyes, looking at him with concern.

"Where is this?" Lin Yiqing looked around and asked in some surprise.

"This is the house of a merchant of the Qianguo, he is grateful to us for preserving his business, and gave this house to you, I want you to have a good rest, so I brought you."

"I'm probably exhausted, you brought me here. I didn't even feel it at all. Lin Yiqing smiled bitterly and shook his head. He bred himself on his elbows and tried to sit up, but immediately felt a wave of dizziness in his head, and he could only fall back weakly.

"It's quite normal. You've been through so many battles. It's so tiring. The body is in a state of tension all the time, and it is a feeling when you suddenly relax in a stable environment. You'd better not be too hasty yet......" Chiho Kirino's expression immediately calmed down, she has always had a high degree of willpower to control personal feelings, even after reuniting with Lin Yiqing, there are no exceptions.

"What you're saying is that these days, it's so tiring." Lin Yiqing understood that Chiho Kirino was telling the truth, since Kagoshima raised troops, he, the chief of staff, had to formulate battle plans, and sometimes personally participated in battles, and his body had been in a state of high tension.

"Hanpeng, you can drink some water first." Chiho Kirino said, raising her hand slightly. picked up the porcelain cup placed on the coffee table and handed it to Lin Yiqing.

Lin Yiqing nodded, then got up with one arm and took a sip of the cup, the entrance only felt cold and cold, very comfortable, it turned out to be a glass of mint water. When he had finished drinking, he was still very tired, so he lay down again.

"Your body is fine, not a person who gets sick easily......" Chiho Kirino's tone revealed a strong aura of care, which made Lin Yiqing's heart feel warm.

"Maybe I'm a little tired these days." Lin Yiqing still felt a pain in his brain, he raised his hand, gently rubbed his temples with his second finger, and replied in a somewhat hoarse voice.

From the beginning of this war to the present, he has lost count of how many sleepless nights he has spent.

Chiho Kirino didn't speak again, just looked at him with a smile in her eyes, her eyes full of joy.

Lin Yiqing looked at her water-cutting eyes, at this moment, the warm sunlight outside the window shone on her face, and on her hands, making her skin show a layer of crystal luster, showing her beauty even more.

"What's wrong? ......" Chiho Kirino couldn't help but blush when she found Lin Yiqing staring at her.

Although she was already married to Lin Yiqing, the two were alone at this time, and under Lin Yiqing's gaze, she still couldn't help but feel shy.

Chiho Kirino tried to calm herself down, she walked lightly to the bed, sat down next to Lin Yiqing, Lin Yiqing stretched out her hand to her, she gently put her hand into his palm, and the fingers of the two were naturally clasped together.

The husband and wife looked at each other and smiled knowingly. The thoughts and pains of many days of separation all melted into this faint smile.

"Are you hungry?" Chiho Kirino asked softly.

"I've just eaten, I'm not hungry, don't be busy." Lin Yiqing shook her hand and said.

"Is the food good here?" Chiho Kirino asked again uneasily.

"Not bad. By the way, this time the ship brought some beef back, and when you all try it, it tastes very good. Lin Yiqing replied with a smile.

"Beef? Where did it come from? Hearing Lin Yiqing say that he brought back beef, Chiho Kirino couldn't help but be stunned.

"It was on the enemy warship 'Fuso', and there were two very large black cattle on that ship." Lin Yiqing replied, "During the naval battle, the artillery fire of our warship was called to break through the hull, and the two cows raised in it were also killed. One of them has been given to the soldiers to eat, and the other has been kept for you to taste. ”

Hearing that there were cows on the ironclad ship "Fuso", Chiho Kirino also laughed.

Chiho Kirino didn't know at this time that the two cows raised on the Japanese warship that Lin Yiqing was talking about were actually famous Kobe cows. Kobe beef is a type of Japanese black Tajima cattle, named after the fact that it is mainly produced in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. Kobe beef has a unique way of raising it, and Kobe beef is a delicacy in Japanese cuisine. It is characterized by suppleness, tenderness on the palate and marbling on the outside. There are various cooking methods, such as sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, teppanyaki or sashimi. Among them, Kobe beef, along with caviar, foie gras, and white truffle, is ranked sixth, and is one of Japan's most famous treasures.

In fact, it was not the Japanese who first discovered the deliciousness of Kobe beef, but the Western merchants who came to Kobe in the first year of Keio. At that time, there was no custom of eating beef in Japan, and cattle were usually only used for farming and transportation. Due to the influence of Buddhism, the Japanese emperor issued the "Order of Biological Mercy", which forbade people to eat meat, so that there were no open slaughterhouses in the market. Westerners who come to Japan want to eat beef. It took a lot of twists and turns. After a lot of hard work, they were amazed by the beef they ate, and Kobe beef became famous all over the world. As a result, British merchants also set up Japan's first beef shop. It was not until the fifth year of the Meiji era that the first Japanese-run meat slaughtering market, the Bird and Beast Selling Shosho, was established. Beef is considered to have come off the table of foreigners and the rich. It has become a delicacy of the Japanese people.

The reason why there are two Kobe cows on the "Fuso". In addition to being a pet on a warship, it is also used as a meat when necessary.

At this time, Chiho Kirino didn't know that these delicious beef brought back by Lin Yiqing. There will be such a background.

And when she thought of the cruelty of the naval battle, even the cattle hiding in the cabin could not be spared from the artillery fire, Chiho Kirino's heart couldn't help but shrink again.

"This battle was fought so fiercely...... You...... You okay? Chiho Kirino restrained her smile and looked at Lin Yiqing steadily, "These days, I'm afraid of you......" Her voice was a little choked, and she didn't say any more.

"Afraid I'll be killed by the enemy?" Lin Yiqing looked at Chiho Kirino, whose face was much thinner, and knew that she had been worried about herself in her heart, so she pretended to smile lightly, "Do you look like I'm injured?" ”

"Now that I see it, I'm relieved......" Chiho Kirino smiled, but tears flowed down her eyes. She realized her gaffe and quickly wiped away her tears with a handkerchief.

"Did you see those news in the newspapers?" Lin Yiqing thought of the reports about the war in the foreign newspapers she occasionally saw, and comforted her with a smile, "What is said on it is not true, in fact, it is not as they say." ”

"But you still always go to war yourself." Chiho Kirino sighed, "On the battlefield, swords and guns are really eyeless...... I didn't quite understand why my father always said this, but now I know it......"

"Yes! Swords and guns have no eyes, and those who can survive on the battlefield are lucky......" Lin Yiqing sighed, he looked at his saber hanging on the wall a little sluggishly, his deep eyes flashed faintly, and he said for a long time: "I can't remember how many people I killed......"

"I killed twelve people, and then my father didn't let me go to war anymore for the sake of our children." Chiho Kirino looked at Lin Yiqing and sighed.

Although many days have passed, in her mind, there are still remnants of the eyes of the enemy officers and soldiers she killed with her own hands that almost burst out of their sockets after their deaths, and her nose always seems to smell the blood of the battlefield.

"Murder...... Sometimes it feels really bad......" Chiho Kirino said softly, "but at that time, I can't stop......"

Lin Yiqing knew what she was worried about, "Chisui," he squeezed her hand, "You relax, for you, I won't go to the battlefield easily in the future......"

"Hmm." Chiho Kirino looked at him tenderly, caressing his cheek with her hand, and her heart was full of pleasure.

"You know what? Chiho, the great general took the opportunity of the great victory of our army to present his order to His Majesty the Emperor, and if His Majesty the Emperor agrees to the peace talks, this war will soon be over, and everyone will not have to fight again. Lin Yiqing wanted to comfort her, although she knew that this matter was not very reliable, she still said it.

"I know, but I'm afraid things are going to go in a very bad direction." Chiho Kirino said, a hint of melancholy flashed in her eyes.

"Oh? So tell me, Chiho, which direction will things go? Lin Yiqing's heart sank, and he immediately asked.

He knew that Chiho Kirino was known as the "Flower of Satsuma", not only because of her beauty and gentleness, but also because of her talent and resourcefulness.

She must have sensed something when she said that.

"The general is on the table at this time, I think. His aim was to end the war as soon as possible before foreign armies intervened. Chiho Kirino said, "You know what? Han Peng, what the general is most worried about now is not the traitors and thieves in Tokyo, but the Lucia people! ”

"I know that." Lin Yiqing said, "From the beginning of the establishment of the military academy, the purpose of the general was to enable the scholars to become the mainstay of resistance to the Lucian in the face of possible invasion by the Lucians in the future. But there hasn't been a Lucian invasion yet, right? ”

"Hanpeng, you should understand. Now the thief army controlled by the traitors. After repeated defeats, he no longer has the ability to confront our army, and in order to protect himself, the traitors will definitely sell the interests and rights of the country as a condition. Bring in foreign troops to attack us! Chiho Kirino said with some eagerness. You think. With our current strength, can we confront foreign armies? ”

"You have a point." Lin Yiqing nodded, and couldn't help but secretly admire his Japanese wife. "In this regard, I have also considered that among the Western powers, Britain and Lucia are old enemies, if the traitorous government really betrays the country's interests and rights in exchange for Lucia to send troops, Britain will not agree, and the current relationship between the great cadres and Lucia is also not harmonious because of the issue of Yili's ownership, and it really comes to that point, and the traitor uses Lucia as help, then we can use the British and Qian's two countries as help, Lucia is afraid of the situation of the two countries, and may not dare to come to the army."

"Hanpeng has already thought of this layer, which is really good." Hearing that Lin Yiqing had actually thought of a countermeasure, Chiho Kirino unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

"Didn't Chiho see the two latest cruisers of the Qianguo country moored in Osaka Port? Do you think they're just here to watch the battle? Lin Yiqing smiled and shook her fingers.

Chiho Kirino remembered the two armored cruisers of the Qianguo Navy "Kaiji" and "Jingqing" that she saw in the port, and a hanging heart finally let go.

At this time, Chiho Kirino, although she had a vague premonition of what might happen in the future, she didn't know that things would develop in a direction she couldn't imagine at all.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Exhausted, Ito returned home and lay on the bed, not wanting to move, his face was so white and terrifying that he looked like a dead man.

He had just attended a meeting of the head of government on "borrowing troops from foreign countries", and he had a lot of arguments with Iwakura Gushi, Yama Prefecture Aritomo, Okuma Shigenobu and others, and finally quarreled for a whole day, but could not reach an agreement.

Although there is a consensus on "borrowing troops from foreign countries", there is still a big dispute over which country to deal with.

Among the heads of the Meiji government, Ito Hirobumi preferred to borrow troops from Britain and France, because Britain and France had long had great interests in Japan, and because Britain and France had good military discipline and considerable combat effectiveness. However, his proposal was opposed by Yamaguchi Aritomo, who believed that Britain and France had looked at the war at this point, indicating that they did not want to interfere in the situation in Japan, but were sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight, waiting for the outcome of the war, and whichever side won, they would recognize which side was orthodox, and they should not borrow troops from Britain and France. Yamaguchi Youtomo was inclined to borrow troops from Germany, believing that the German Army's combat strength was the highest among European countries, and that the Japanese Army had always used the German Army as its division, and that if the German army borrowed troops from Germany, the advantage was that the tactics could be coordinated with the government army, and because of Germany's elite soldiers and strong combat effectiveness, it was possible to defeat the rebels without borrowing many people. Iwakura Gushi believes that Britain, France, and Germany may not be willing to send troops, and those who are willing to send troops must be countries close to Japan, that is, Qianguo and Russia, and Qianguo and Japan had a bad relationship with Japan a few years ago over the Moss Bay issue, and once exchanged troops (i.e., the famous "Saigo Riot" incident carried out by Saigo Takamori's younger brother Saigo from the province), and they may not be willing to send troops to intervene in the Japanese civil war, and the combat effectiveness of the cadres is low, so they advocate borrowing troops from Russia.

Since several people held their own opinions, they did not argue until dark, but were too tired to do so, so they adjourned the meeting and went home to rest, and agreed to continue the discussion the next day, and agreed that if it was really difficult to decide, they would ask the emperor to "make a holy decision".

Hirobumi Ito lay there, thinking back to the day's arguments, and couldn't help but miss Takamori Saigo.

It was when Emperor Takamei died and Emperor Meiji, who was only 14 years old, succeeded to the throne, and Saigo Takamori actively promoted the alliance of the powerful feudal domains in order to bring down the curtain. At that time, Saigo Takamori and Okubo Ritsu were ready to issue a "secret edict" in the name of the emperor through the enlightened ministers. However, just as the secret order was about to be issued, the shogun Tokugawa Yoshiki wrote a letter asking for "the return of the great government". This was a ploy by the shogunate to return power to the emperor on its own initiative, but in fact it was a deceitful move to continue to maintain the shogunate's rule. However, the feudal lords who supported the emperor were troubled, and since Tokugawa Yoshiki was going to hand over power, should they still issue an order to ask for the shogun? A meeting was held in Kyoto to discuss the matter, and the Tosa feudal lord temporarily changed his mind and proposed that Tokugawa Yoshiki also attend the meeting, which was tantamount to asking for a retreat and compromise. At this time, some people agreed, some people opposed, and they couldn't make a decision for a long time. As a result, Saigo Takamori took the opportunity to make a decision and reverse the situation, he showed the knife in his arms, and shouted: "The only one who can decide today's affairs is this sword ear!" The people who were so frightened and hesitant that they didn't dare to say anything else. The edict had to be issued. The coup d'état was successful, and the new Meiji government was established, which was nominally vested in the emperor and stripped the shogunate of its powers.

It's a pity that in today's meeting, he and Xiyuan Temple Gongwang did not have the courage of Saigo Takamori!

Thinking of this, Ito Hirobumi couldn't help but let out a long sigh. (To be continued......)

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