Palazzo Nacional, Mexico City. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

The climate in Mexico City, located in the highlands, is as cool as ever, with the tricolor flag flying high outside the doors of this luxurious palace. Imperial Mexican Guards, dressed in ornate uniforms, parade the Plaza de la Constitución to show off the might of this emerging empire in Central America to every guest who arrives.

However, Saigo Takamori, who was seated in a carriage with the Ming flag and arrived at Constitution Square with Wu Chunqiu, the ambassador of the Ming Empire to Mexico and the United States of America, knew very well that the gorgeous appearance of the Mexican Empire was completely false. This country, which is very large on the map, and will be even larger, is merely a tool for the expansion of French and Chinese influence in the Americas. But for the new Japan, which is far away at the southern tip of South America, this shell empire that is outside the gold and jade and ruined in it cannot be offended either.

Although there was a steady stream of troops, supplies, and personnel, they were coming to New Japan from the Japanese mainland on Ming or British warships. However, Saigo Takamori and the top brass of the new Japanese Consulate were not fooled enough to rely on this unfounded strength to challenge Mexico, which represented the interests of France and the Roman Empire. Therefore, after returning to New Japan from Japan, Saigo handed over the preparation for war to Sakuma Koyama, Katsukaishu, Yoshida Shoin, and others. He took Ryoma Sakamoto, the diplomatic director of the new Japanese Consulate, and traveled to the capital of the Mexican Empire on the steam sailing ship of the Mexican Shipping Company.

"Mr. Saigo, Mr. Sakamoto, you will not see Her Majesty the Empress today. During this time, she lived in San Francisco, helping her son govern the Kingdom of California. In addition, the North American War was nearing its end. Secret negotiations on all sides have also begun. ”

It was Wu Chunqiu who spoke. After Saigo Takamori and Sakamoto Ryoma arrived in Mexico City. He has been stationed in the Ming Embassy. It is hoped that through the relationship of the Ming Dynasty, he will have high-level contact with the Mexican Empire.

"If you can't see the Empress, then who can you see?" Ryoma Sakamoto interjected. He was a student of Sakuma Kozan, who had served as an infantry commissioner in the new shogunate's new army and was now a military commissioner in the new Japanese administration. He was also the old man who pioneered New Japan, commanding the army to fight in the Patagonian Plateau for many years, defeating many Indian tribes. Sakamoto Ryoma, the object of diplomacy, is all kinds of Indian chiefs, and it is the first time that he has gone to a serious foreign country to engage in diplomacy.

"You can meet the Marquis Juárez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Mexico." Wu Chunqiu paused. "This marquis is deeply trusted by the empress and will soon become the prime minister of the Mexican Empire." If you get his support, you're basically going to succeed. He paused and lowered his voice, "Actually, Juárez is better at talking than Empress Mathilde, because he is an Indian and represents the interests of the poor Indians of Mexico." Indians make up the vast majority of the population of Mexico and the United Kingdom of Central America, and Empress Mathilde is on the throne. It was necessary to enlist the support of the Indians. ”

"Oh, poor Indians? What do they want? Ryoma Sakamoto asked with a smile.

"Land. Land, of course. Wu Chunqiu smiled, "Although there is no shortage of land in Mexico, there is a large land system here, and there is not much land that can be allocated to the indigenous Indians. This time, Empress Mathilde refused to give the land of the Kingdom of California to the Indians, so Juárez's Liberal Party proposed to buy the large estate. The state issued bonds to buy land owned by large landowners and churches, which were then distributed to landless Indians in order to reach the point where the tiller had his land. ”

"The cultivator has his own land...... Saigo Takamori and Sakamoto Ryoma thought to themselves at the same time, if only Japan could realize that the cultivator had his own land, and the situation in Japan is similar to that in Mexico, where the "big estate" system is used. The land was concentrated in the hands of the samurai giants, represented by the 300 famous families, and the peasants, who made up 90% of the population, were almost all landless tenants. Although the new Japanese government after the integration of public and military forces also thought about solving the land problem of the peasants, it did not have the financial resources to redeem it, and second, it was ...... The people in power are all high-ranking samurai from the daimyo family, and who will really think about the peasants? Japan, not even such a figure as Huarez!

"I'm afraid it will cost a lot of money to buy land, right?" Saigo Takamori said thoughtfully.

"That's right, that's why Juarez is likely to support us." Wu Chunqiu used the word "we". Saigo Takamori sounded a little harsh, he swept Sakamoto Ryoma with the corner of his eye, but Ryoma did not react, but asked Wu Chunqiu with a smile, "Ambassador Wu, how can we win the support of Hu Yares?" ”

Wu Chunqiu said with a smile: "Atacama Desert! The driest and richest desert in the world! ”

Saigo Takamori and Sakamoto Ryoma exchanged glances with each other, and they both understood Wu Chunqiu's purpose - he, no, it should be the Ming Emperor who wanted to make New Japan and the British Empire completely turn against each other! As long as the new Japan helped Mexico gain control of the Atacama Desert, it would be tantamount to offending the British Empire to death...... Whatever the British aims, they have always contributed to the development of South America by the new Japan, and if they don't get to the Atacama Desert in the end, they will be happy? Moreover, the expansion of the new Japan in South America will inevitably infringe on the interests of France, and France will certainly not regard the new Japan as a friend. In this way, two of the world's three major powers are not at odds with New Japan, and then New Japan can only rely on the Ming Empire.

Perhaps, Emperor Zhu's assimilation policy will be transmitted from the old Japan to the new Japan, and finally the new Japan will be assimilated into the new China!

At this time, the carriage had already driven into the gate of the National Palace of Mexico, and the smile on Wu Chunqiu's face was even stronger, and he was still talking eloquently: "Napoleon III's empire is actually a dualist empire, with the French and Roman Empires at one end, and the Mexican Empire in the Americas at the other. The Mexican Empire was a tool for Napoleon III to open up the Americas, and its stability was especially important for Napoleon III. The stability of Mexico depended on the peaceful coexistence of Indians and whites, and the key to the problem was the land issue, which was actually the Mexican Empire needed a large fortune to buy the land of the big white landowners. Therefore, the new Japan could partially defuse the pressure from France by cooperating with the Liberal Party of the Mexican Indians. ”

To put it bluntly, it was under the moderate rule of Empress Mathilde and the mud that the political power of the Mexican Indians gradually rose and became a decisive force. The Indians they represented were also to share in the benefits of the empire. And Mathilde I did not dare to offend the Chinese in California in order to satisfy the demands of the Mexican Indians, because although the Chinese were not many in number, they had a strong force. If we really want to fight, the good situation will be ruined. Therefore, Empress Mathilde and the Mexican government can only set their sights on the rich South America.

Wu Chunqiu continued to make suggestions, he said: "In addition, as a diplomat who has a deep understanding of Europe, especially France, I would like to remind you that South America also has Atlantic and Pacific coasts. And the rich lands of the Atlantic coast of South America were coveted by France and the Roman Empire. Only the narrow strip of land at the western foot of the Andes Mountains could become the territory of the new Japan. In the future, the center of gravity of the new Japan will only be on the Pacific coast. ”

"What does Ambassador Wu mean that France will send troops to Argentina? But if our new Japan is a vassal of the Ming Empire! Saigo Takamori took a breath and asked in a deep voice.

Wu Chunqiu's voice was also lowered, and he said: "As far as this official knows, New Japan is not a vassal of the Ming Dynasty, but it is the pioneer of the East Asian yellow peoples to open up South America. You are opening up a new living space for the entire race, and the new Japan belongs to the yellow race of East Asia, so the Ming Dynasty firmly supports you. Therefore, we don't want to see New Japan challenge the bottom line of France and the entire white world, once the white world unites against New Japan, the Ming Empire will be helpless! (To be continued.) )u