Tokyo, Nishijo-gu, Iwasaki Yataro's private estate.

Yataro Iwasaki always sleeps alone. His bed was wide enough to sleep ten people; His bedroom was large enough to be used as a ballroom venue for balls. But since the death of his first wife a few years ago, he has been sleeping alone. That's not to say he doesn't associate with women anymore. In spite of his age, he was still an energetic man in terms of body, but now only a very young girl could arouse his desires. At the same time, he also found that he could do several in one night, which was a testament to the youthful vitality of his body, and he really had such patience.

Early that morning, for some unknown reason, he woke up early. The dawn of dawn illuminated his spacious bedroom like a foggy underground palace. On the table at the other end of the bed, there was a strange image of Yataro Iwasaki standing up straight on his elbows, trying to see it clearly. He saw the outline of a box.

The box was not large, neatly placed there, and a letter was pressed underneath.

Although it was already morning and it was time to get up, Yataro Iwasaki still felt a little in a trance and couldn't see clearly, so he lay down again, rested for a while, and then got up.

Iwasaki Yataro felt a little hungry, and instead of calling the servant, he went to the table, took a few English biscuits from the snack box, and ate them.

A few days ago, because he was too busy, sometimes he couldn't take care of eating, and when he was hungry, he would eat a few delicious biscuits to satisfy his hunger, and after a long time, he developed a habit. Even if it's when it's normal to have three meals a day. He'll also eat a few pieces.

After eating a few cookies. He noticed the box and the letter pressed underneath.

Odd. Who sent these things? Remember last night, it didn't seem to have any of these things on the table?

Yataro Iwasaki opened the box casually and saw that he was about to go into shock in an instant, as if a sledgehammer had slammed into his chest. His heartbeat suddenly went out of order, he felt a wave of nausea, and he vomited with a "wow", and the food residue splattered and sprinkled all over the thick carpet of luxury.

There was a slightly withered human hand there. It had been chopped down and firmly embedded in the center of a large piece of blood. The long, white tendons are also exposed. The fracture was covered with blood foam, and in the middle was Morimori's white bone, and this hand was instantly cut off by a quick knife, and it was embalmed, so although the skin was wrinkled due to blood loss, it still maintained the original appearance when it was cut off.

Yataro Iwasaki was stunned by an instinctive horror. Out of this terror, he screamed and called out to his servant to come; Also out of this sense of terror. He had difficulty controlling himself, incoherent and frenzied seizures. Then he fainted, frightened the housekeeper and servants, and got up and called Yataro Iwasaki's personal doctor and his younger brother, Yanosuke Iwasaki, the second man of the Mitsubishi Trading Company. However, before they arrived, Yataro Iwasaki woke up again.

Now he has recognized whose hand it is.

The bite mark on the hand is still clear.

It was the hand of his nephew, Second Lieutenant Eiya Iwasaki.

Eiya Iwasaki is already dead, but his killer doesn't seem to want to let him go, so he even chops off his hand and sends him over!

Who can cut off his hand and send it to his table? And there was not a word of warning beforehand! No negotiations before such actions are taken, and negotiations are abolished with actions! This kind of callous behavior, this kind of brute action that ignores any standard of value, shows that the mastermind behind the scenes regards himself as his own law, and even as his own God. This person doesn't take Yataro Iwasaki and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department or even the Japanese government in his eyes at all!

Yataro Iwasaki suddenly remembered who killed his most powerful supporter and protector, Okubo Ritsu, and couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart.

Don't...... Is it the one his rebellious daughter Yuka Iwasaki married?

Only then did Yataro Iwasaki remember that along with the box, there was also a letter.

Yataro Iwasaki nervously grabbed the letter and immediately saw a few words on the envelope.

It reads, "Father-in-law Yataro Iwasaki respectfully, son-in-law Lin Yiqing respectfully." ”

Seeing the words "little son-in-law Lin Yiqing", which seemed to be full of ridicule and seemed to remind him of the past, Yataro Iwasaki was so angry that he almost fainted.

Yataro Iwasaki took a few breaths, opened the letter, took out the stationery and read it.

The letter was indeed written by Lin Yiqing, he first said in a mocking tone that since he married You Jia, he has not been able to honor his father-in-law, and his heart is uneasy, so he specially presents a gift here to show filial piety, and then he changed his words and mentioned in suggestive language that Iwasaki Eiya tried to possess Iwasaki Yujia incest and the scar on Iwasaki Eiya's hand that was bitten by Iwasaki Yuka, showing that he was clear about this secret, and explained the reason why he cut off Iwasaki Eiya's hand and sent it back.

Lin Yiqing also expressed his "gratitude" to Yataro Iwasaki in the letter, which means that without his discrimination and suppression of Yuka Iwasaki, the daughter of a geisha, Yuka Iwasaki would not have been forced to die, betrayed him and the Iwasaki family, and threw himself into his arms, in order to express his "heartfelt gratitude" to Yataro Iwasaki, so he sent this special gift, hoping that Yataro Iwasaki would "laugh and accept", and claimed that if Yataro Iwasaki was still the same as before, he would send more gifts.

In addition to the letterhead, Lin Yiqing also included a photo of Iwasaki Hideya's severed head, which was stuck in a sharp wooden stake and stood in front of the city gate.

"Bastard! …… Bastard! Yataro Iwasaki read the letter, which humiliated him to the extreme, and gritted his teeth and cursed.

In addition to scolding, cold sweat also oozed from his forehead.

Yataro Iwasaki is not a stupid person, he is just selfish. He mistakenly believed that the actual power he manipulated in his world was much greater than that of someone like Lin Yiqing, but now he only had to think about it seriously to understand that this was not the case. He only now grasped the truth, even though he had a lot of money. This is despite his close ties to the Government of Japan. Although he has repeatedly claimed. He has friendships with many high-ranking government officials and bigwigs in the army, but an unknown Qianguo man will find a way to kill him, and he will really want his life! The reason is the woman who bullied him - this woman is still his own daughter! This causal relationship is hard to believe.

Yataro Iwasaki knew that Lin Yiqing was warning himself that he did not have any power to act as brutally as before. If he insists on going his own way, his world will not be what it is. This is a warning and a threat, Lin Yiqing is telling him. You have money, you have a big company like Mitsubishi Trading, you have the power to give orders, but in front of him, you can't do whatever you want, and if Yataro Iwasaki offends him, he will crush him unceremoniously!

He's not talking empty words! He does what he says!

Yataro Iwasaki had his personal doctor give him a very mild sedative. The medicine helped him calm down and allow him to think clearly. What really shocked him was that Lin Yiqing so casually ordered the hand of a government army second lieutenant officer to be sent into his mansion in Tokyo, and no one even noticed! And. He also told himself that this was just the beginning! Then. Yataro Iwasaki thought: Obviously, someone must arrange and plan well in advance, and the person who sent the hand and letter can come in safely and leave calmly. However, the security guards on the night shift insisted that they had not heard any movement, and Yataro Iwasaki felt that this was impossible. He can find a way to get them to speak out. They were bought, and he could find a way to get them to say who had bought them.

But Yataro Iwasaki felt a shiver. He thought about the life he had already built. He is very rich, just bend his finger and promise to sign a contract, he can make a lot of money, even if it is the most beautiful woman in the world, he will easily get it as long as he gives an order. He was received by the Emperor and the Empress. The life he lived was the best life that money and power could provide. It's crazy to put all this out of the way because of a whimsical willfulness. Maybe he can find out who the mole is, send him to the Metropolitan Police Department, torture and then kill him, and avenge his nephew Eimi. But will this lead to other serious consequences?

Yataro Iwasaki burst out laughing maniacally, his doctors and servants watching him nervous and worried. Another thought came to him: he would become a laughing stock in the Tokyo business community because someone had so arrogantly flouted his authority, and if he couldn't keep his authority, he would be doomed.

In addition, he is worried that someone will find out the true identity of Hideya Iwasaki because of this: he is not his nephew, but his own son!

This involves an even more secret and unbearable past, which, if spread, will deal a fatal blow to his own reputation!

Yataro Iwasaki immediately gave the order and took the necessary measures, and a team of his cronies went into action. The servants and doctors were all sworn secrets, and the violators were the sworn enemies of Mitsubishi Trading Company and Yataro Iwasaki himself. He ordered the severed hand to be cremated and buried in a hidden place on the manor, and then set up a mourning hall for Iwasaki Eiya to pay a public memorial.

Just as Yataro Iwasaki was busy, the servant came to report that Eiichi Shibusawa had come to visit.

Hearing Shibusawa Eiichi's name, Yataro Iwasaki's brows furrowed.

"What is he here for?" Yataro Iwasaki asked.

"Mr. Shibusawa said that he had come to mourn Master Eiya......" replied the servant.

"Hmph, he's pretty well-informed!" Yataro Iwasaki sneered, "I just set up a mourning hall here, and he's here!" It's not that he has some collusion with the thieves, right? ”

Out of hostility to Shibusawa Eiichi, he couldn't help but associate Shibusawa Eiichi and Lin Yiqing together!

Iwasaki Yanosuke, who had been busy with his brother, was taken aback when he heard this, of course he knew the relationship between Shibusawa Eiichi and government officials, and what his brother said just now may have been dizzy, and quickly said: "Mr. Shibusawa is also well-connected in the government and the military, maybe he got the news from them, right?" He came to mourn, it should be out of some kindness, it is better for my brother to meet him, maybe I can take this opportunity to resolve the previous grievances, didn't His Excellency Okuma and His Excellency Ito also say that they hope that at this time, the elder brother will put state affairs first and stop fighting with him? ”

After listening to his younger brother's reminder, Yataro Iwasaki realized that what he said just now was a bit excessive, and the big hat of the collaborator could not be buttoned casually, and now he had felt the reduction of the status of Mitsubishi Trading Company, and if this increased Shibusawa Eiichi's hatred again. will bring more trouble to yourself out of thin air. Shibusawa Eiichi came to mourn Hideya Iwasaki. Maybe it's like what his younger brother Yanosuke said, he has the meaning of making peace with himself, and he might as well push the boat with the water.

"You're right, let's go change and meet him!" Yataro Iwasaki nodded, turned to the servant and said, "First invite Mr. Shibusawa to the mourning hall to pay his respects, and we'll go over later." ”

When Yataro Iwasaki and Yanosuke Iwasaki came to the mourning hall. Seeing Shibusawa Eichi in a suit, doing a memorial ceremony in a decent manner.

As soon as Shibusawa Sakae finished the incense, he bowed three times to the portrait of Hideya Iwasaki, and then turned around and pretended to see the Iwasaki brothers inadvertently.

"Mr. Shibusawa is so grateful that he has come to pay his respects to my poor nephew!" Maybe he was afraid that his brother Yataro Iwasaki would say something cold, Yanosuke Iwasaki said first.

"Ensign Yingmi is a hero who sacrificed his life for the country, I have heard about the heroic deeds of Ensign Yingmi, I admire it very much, I have always wanted to meet Ensign Yingmi, but I didn't expect Ensign Yingmi to die. Not being able to meet in person, for me personally. What a great misfortune! Shibusawa Eiichi said humbly and bowed to Yataro Iwasaki and Yanosuke Iwasaki, "So I came here to offer condolences today, there is something abrupt, please forgive me!" ”

Yataro Iwasaki was originally angry when he saw Eiichi Shibusawa, but at this moment, hearing him say such a thing, the original hatred actually dissipated.

Iwasaki Yanosuke noticed the subtle change in his brother's facial expression, and couldn't help but admire Shibusawa Eiichi.

Before the Meiji Restoration, Shibusawa Eiichi was the "Sasho faction", he himself was the last shogun Tokugawa Yoshiki's most loyal retainer, after the Meiji Restoration, Tokugawa Yoshiki was forced to abdicate and live in seclusion in the Sunfu, Shibusawa Eiichi was still doing his duty as a retainer, he was Tokugawa Yoshiki's biggest economic helper, thanks to Shibusawa Eiichi's help, Tokugawa Yoshiki's life did not fall into difficulty. At the same time, in order to highlight the historical achievements of Tokugawa Yoshiki, he also invested heavily in the compilation of the eight-volume "Tokugawa Yoshiki Official Biography" with millions of words.

As a retainer of the Tokugawa shogunate, Shibusawa Eiichi had no hope of becoming an official in the court, but continued to defect to Tokugawa Yoshiki, who was trapped in Sunfu. Shibusawa Eiichi made full use of the French joint-stock company system to raise funds and make profits, and actually let Tokugawa Yoshiki, who was struggling with money, get out of trouble, and Shibusawa Eiichi's management skills became famous. The Meiji government, eager for talent, soon extended an invitation to him to serve as an official. At that time, the secretary of the Treasury, Shigenobu Okuma, in order to recruit Shibusawa Eiichi, had three visits to the thatched house. Inoue Shinya also had great faith in Shibusawa Eiichi, but when Shibusawa Eiichi was promoted unusually, he encountered great resistance in all aspects, especially the officials who were born in the Shogunate faction in the province were angry and couldn't accept a Sashoku faction as their top boss. But at the insistence of Shigenobu Okuma, Shibusawa Eiichi still took office. In just 6 months, he has won the respect of his colleagues for his excellent work. It turned out that those who were disgruntled came to apologize, admitting that "Shibusawa's talent is far beyond our reach, and he is indeed a rare talent." ”

When he first heard this story, Iwasaki Yanosuke couldn't believe it, but today he and Shibusawa Eiichi officially met, and when he heard Shibusawa Eiichi's words, he knew that the legend was by no means groundless.

Legend has it that despite his outstanding talent, Shibusawa Eiichi's upright personality still made Shibusawa Eiichi offend many people in the officialdom. In the sixth year of the Meiji era, Shibusawa Eiichi had a sharp conflict with the authoritarian Okubo Ritsu, and he resigned from the position of Daizo Shosuke in anger. In fact, the main reason for Shibusawa's resignation was not this, Shibusawa Eiichi was deeply aware early on that if Japan wanted to become a great power, there was no other way than to vigorously develop industry and commerce. However, the hierarchical consciousness of Shinong industry and commerce is deeply rooted in Japanese society, which seriously limits the interest of talented people to devote themselves to industry and commerce. Ignoring the persuasion of many friends, Shibusawa Eiichi resolutely resigned and went to the sea to start a business, in order to lead by example and use himself as an example to reverse deep-rooted secular prejudices. It can be said that without Shibusawa Eiichi's abandonment of official business and business, there would be no his later glory. Shibusawa Eiichi resolutely devoted himself to the world of business, which became a new starting point in his life. In that year, Shibusawa Eiichi organized the establishment of the First National Bank, the first joint-stock bank in Japan for private fundraising. The word "bank" is his invention. Under Shibusawa's leadership, Dai-ichi National Bank was a great success. At the same time, he also persuaded Mitsui, Ono and other families to co-fund the establishment of Oji Paper Company, helped Mori Yuri establish the Commercial Law Seminar, and initiated the establishment of Tokio Marine Insurance Company. Shibusawa Eiichi operates in industries such as shipping, shipbuilding, railways, textiles, beer, chemical fertilizers, and mining. In terms of shipping, in order to break Mitsubishi's monopoly in the shipping industry, Shibusawa Eiichi founded the Tokyo Sailing Company, which launched a fierce competition with Mitsubishi.

After the Meiji Restoration, the most representative figures in the Japanese economy may be none other than Eiichi Shibusawa and Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi. However, the business philosophies of these two men are very different. Yataro Iwasaki will do whatever it takes to make a profit, and his management style is arbitrary. Shibusawa Eiichi advocated the "unity of righteousness and benefit" and advocated the joint-stock system, and co-authored the book "Outline of the Legislative Council" with his subordinate Genichiro Fukuchi in the fourth year of the Meiji era. Iwasaki Yanosuke knows that the conflict between Shibusawa Eiichi and his brother Yataro Iwasaki is not just a simple business competition, but also a struggle over business philosophy. (To be continued......)

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